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justasparkwritings · 4 years ago

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Codename Cupid: Chapter 5

Previous: Codename First Heartbreak

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook X OFC/PI, Mentions of Kim Seokjin X OFC

Genre: Secret AgentAU, AgentAU, Light Strangers to Lovers AU

Rating: PG13

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Swearing, Legal Alcohol Consumption

Summary: The search for Kim Seokjin begins, and our PI makes an unexpected acquaintance.

Searching for Seokjin

Present Day

I’ll admit, the heartbreak Euna endured at the hands of Kim Seokjin felt a little too real, a little too personal, a little too familiar. Reading the chapters in her manifesto that detailed the love she had for him, reminded me of listening to Kacey Musgrave’s first album and asking, to no one in particular, who hurt you?

Whether or not he realized it, their five-month triste had set in motion the ways in which Euna moved through her relationships with men. It was clear that their college love story created deep seated insecurity, one that caused her to shy away from dating. Shy away, and then lean in fully and totally in a manner that would make Charles Manson go “whoa step back”. But that’s a story for later, because Seokjin never felt the extend of Euna’s love. No, that was reserved for Min Yoongi. But again, a story for another time.

Kim Seokjin, being first on the list, was the first man I wanted to track down. He had practically no social media presence, no LinkedIn or job profiles, no known address. All Euna had to go off of was he worked at some bank in New York, but that was after graduation. Five years later, she didn’t know if he’d still be there.

“Hi, I am calling for a Mr. Kim,” I say into my phone.

“Which Mr. Kim would you be referencing?” The receptionist asks.

“Kim Seokjin,” I respond.

“Hmm, I do not have a Kim Seokjin in the directory,” She says.

“Do you happen to have a forwarding number or address?” I ask.

“No, unfortunately not. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, thank you,” I hang up and gently set my phone on my desk. Of course, he didn’t still work there, what promising young man would stay at a mid-tier firm when he had the potential for such greatness, as Euna described?

I pick up my phone and dial my favorite number.

“If this is to ask me to search something for you illegally, the answer is no,” My sister says, not bothering to begin our chat with any formality.

“C, you know I have full access to the state database,” I remind her, twirling in my chair.

“Then what’s your question?” She demands.

“I need a national search,” I inform her.

“No,” C says.

“Come on, please?” I ask.

“No,” She says again.

“You know you’re the golden child, mom and dad already love you more, so can you help me out?” I plead.

“You get one chance a year to use the ‘mom and dad’ card,” She reminds me.

“Sis, this is an extenuating circumstance,” I tell her.

“Lies,” She responds.

“I’ll pay you,” I offer.

“You do know the NSA taps these phones?” She whispers, knowing full well I do.

I laugh a little too hard, “Then why are you absolutely dragging me?”

“I can’t,” She tells me, voice returning to normal volume.

“Fine.” I say, fingers moving swiftly over the keypad of my phone.

“Why do you insist on putting me on speaker?” She groans.

“It’s easier, I have many things to do,” I remind her.

“Sure, you do, like find the pennies you lost in the couch. Still enough for rent, right?”

“You can be such a bitch, you know that?” I snap.

“You still coming out with us on Friday?” She changes subjects fluidly.

“Well, I wasn’t-

“You are coming, when’s the last time you, you know, hooked up?” She asks delicately.

“I thought we were being tapped?” I laugh callously.

“No no, that’s what you’re not doing,” She reciprocates.

“You’re the worst, and I hate you,” I tell her.

“Wear something revealing,” She suggests.

“Don’t slut shame me,” I say.

“You’re insufferable,” She responds.

“Love you, mean it,” I tell her.

“Love you, mean it,” She replies.

If I know my sister, and I do, better than she realizes, tonight at the club she’ll have the information I need, the information to help me find not only Kim Seokjin, but the lot of them.

~~~~~

Dressing in what my sister would ultimately call a boring, going to work outfit, I hopped into the Uber. I knew better than to drive, the full extent of the evening outlined in detail in a message from C. She always planned elaborate nights out, which resulted in black outs, drunk hook ups and dirty dancing. C wanted the nights to remain perfect blurred memories, fuzzy in our minds, growing more and more hazy as the years progressed. She knows well enough to schedule them quarterly, if not twice a year max, maintaining their elusiveness. She invites only the best of the best, her favorite people, and being the single younger sister, I am the pet project of all her married friends. It’s fucking excruciating. I would rather be shaving my legs dry than spend a drunken night with her friends who all remember me as the braces wearing tween they met me as.

Tonight, will be no different.

I enter the club, no cover, and slip my bomber jacket off as I walk towards the bar. My sister sits on a stool, laughing uproariously at her girlfriends, shoulders exposed as she downs what I’m assuming is a Lemon Drop. Spotting me, she waves.

“You’re here!” She yells and eyes me up and down. “So glad you tried.”

“I put make up on,” I tell her, blinking my eyes slowly enough that she can see the shadow and attempt at eyeliner. “I’m even wearing foundation.”

“Wow, and what tween did you learn that from?” She asks, flagging down the bartender.

I don’t dignify her question with a response, in turn favoring the bartender. He stares at me expectantly, “Tequila, shaken,” I turn to count the party, “Ten shots.”

He nods before grabbing what I assume is the cheapest tequila from the shelf.

“For you?” Elise asks.

“For all of us,” I say winking. The bartender sets the shots down before asking if I want to close my tab. I nod, handing him my card without thinking.

“Really? Two shots and you’re done for the night?” C asks me.

“No, I just won’t be paying for them,” I reply laughing. Together we down our shots before turning to the dance floor. It’s a mess of sweating bodies, the neon lights illuminating fractions of everyone’s face, a nose here, an ear there, lips entangled over the beat of a Dua Lipa song. Clothing, soaked to the bone, clinging relentlessly onto everyone’s skin as they sweat through the music, liquor moving their limbs in wild gestures, inhibitions down, booties dropping. It’s euphoria and chaos, pleasure and sin.

I fucking love it.

My sister and I, though very different, have always had a shared love of dancing. Music bumping through speakers, full volume never being enough, in our blood. A part of us from our father, uniting our waring personas across decades, across the globe, and tonight, across the floor. Is there anything as blissful as dancing, hips swaying, arms overhead, lungs burning as we shout the lyrics. Heavenly.

I retreat from the dance floor to the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to notice my presence.

“You look so happy out there,” A man says from behind me. I turn, surprised to see someone seated on the stool behind me. I truly almost sat on him.

“Oh, hi, yeah, thanks,” I reply, smiling softly.

“Do you think you could spare me a dance?” He asks, blush coating his cheeks.

“Tell me this,” I say, eyes absorbing his Bambi like orbs, “How many fingers does Yoda have?”

“Depends, which movie you’re talking about,” He smiles, and I swear I’ve been shot in the heart. No one should be this stunning in a dimly lit club, which means he’s going to be breathtaking in the light of day.

“So how many?” I repeat.

“Three in one film, two in another,” His nose scrunches.

“Are you a nerd or just really into bar trivia?” I ask.

“A bit of both,” He’s still smiling, and I’m wounded again.

“Good to know,” I laugh lightly.

“Can I buy you a drink?” He offers.

“I thought you wanted a dance,” I remind him, winking.

“Can I have both?” He asks, left eyebrow raising.

“Depends,” I say smirking.

“On?”

“What are you drinking?” I ask.

“Is this your game? Ask me questions to extrapolate information so you can decide if you’re interested?” He doesn’t mean to blast me, but he does.

“Oo, you do read me so well,” I wink, a poor attempt at keeping any pretense or posture intact. “Tequila shot, shaken, lemon wedge, no salt.”

He orders two shots and looks me over.

“You’re gorgeous,” He says, sincerity in his eyes.

“You are too,” I reply, eliciting a laugh from him.

“Are you usually this forthcoming?”

“Absolutely not, when you get to know me, you’ll see how closed off I truly am,” I thank the bartender before grabbing my shot. “To strangers in bars,”

“And lovers amongst the stars,” He replies.

“Shakespeare?” I smile again before tossing my shot back. “How’s about that dance?”

“On one condition,” He stands, towering over me, his black hair moving like a curtain in front of his eyes.

“What could that possibly be?” I ask, hand already reaching for his.

“Tell me your name,” He uses his new hold on my hand to pull me close to him, chests pressing against one another’s.

I stand on my tiptoes, pressing my already flushed cheek against his. “Y/N,” I say, lips grazing his decorated ear.

He turns slightly, ensuring my cheek remains against his. “Jungkook,” His voice is husky, deep and resonating. It shivers through my body, the heat from him mixing with the anticipation building. Pulling away, he smiles again, “Let’s dance.”

Next: Codename Another Shot at Love Pt. 1

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designer-dad · 5 years ago

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Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L - The Review

So we’ve arrived. The culmination of years of fine-tuning and honing in what I look for in a bag. Years of tastes growing, becoming uber-specific and demanding. And 6 months of searching for a very good bag that won’t (totally) break the bank. Something that a frugal person can still say is worth every penny.

Behold, my EDC choice: The Peak Design Everyday Backpack in 30L, Charcoal.

Peak Design first caught my eye when they developed the Everyday Messenger Bag. I was thoroughly taken by how a bag could be so simple, yet powerful. It didn’t require very specific pockets for every possible item. What it had was a thoughtful and novel approach to organization that, while based on camera gear, worked exceedingly well for EDC. With thoughtful and useful pockets, the ability to expand, and those awesome gear dividers, I knew they had a winner. But I was already getting past the stage of messengers and looking at backpacks. if only they did a backpack...

... And then they did. And what a backpack. It was very hard as a designer not to fall down the rabbit hole of videos on the features and uses of this bag. There really isn’t a whole lot you’d wanna do with this (as an EDC/typical travel bag) that you can’t do. True, it’s not submersible, and I don’t think it would do well with a hydration bladder, so it won’t really work as a hiking pack. But aside from that, this thing really can do it all. Drone carry? Check. Tripod? Check. Yoga mat? Check. Lots of giant water bottles? Check. Laptop and tablet? Check. Camera gear for days? Check. Room to grow? Check. Slinging a days worth of purchases from the Mahane Yehudah Market in Jerusalem? Check.

There’s no shortage of reviews and videos breaking down this bag, so I won’t get into all the nitty gritty of what makes it awesome. It’s pretty much unanimous that it is. So I’ll go through why it checks my particular boxes, and then run through how I think it could get even better.

1) Masterful Organization Major pros here, a few cons. Overall, Peak addresses my biggest issue with backpacks, which was really the main sell for me. They employed a way for me to subdivide the giant big pocket into smaller chunks that are easy to reconfigure in both immediate ways (simply flipping a flap one way or another) or more semi-permanent ways (removing/adding a divider, or simply moving one). This is epic. This scratches my organization itch SO SATISFACTORILY. 2 side water bottle pockets (more on that below), handy soft-lined kinda hidden zipper pocket at the top of the laptop compartment, interior hidden passport pocket, and 2 side panels of smaller organization which expand to hold FREAKING ANYTHING. Seriously, I’ve never not been able to fit something in there, even things that obviously should not fit. And it’s got hidden loops and tethers all over the place for carrying literally any kind of weird thing strapped to the outside as well. It covers all the bases, some better than others, but certainly covers them all. I can store big stuff, little stuff, weird stuff, and more, and know it will all have a place, no matter the size or shape or fragility. Other than documents. More on that later. And it’ll grow to add more. YES.

2) DSLR/Camera Carry This is what Peak Design focuses on, and this is what they do exceedingly well. Taking cues from many other DSLR carry inserts, their origami style dividers have flaps that allow you to move a portion of these semi-rigid dividers to the side to make way for larger camera grips, or lay long lenses across. But that’s an understatement. These movable flaps give an excellent combination of structure, flexibility, protection, and modularity to allow for nearly any kind of setup you’d like. They pretty damn well near nailed this aspect of bags.

3) Travel Buddy/EDC Buddy Yeah, it’s more or less a joy to use this bag for travel and EDC. It flexes nimbly between what I use everyday and the particular items I carry for travel. It grows to carry my extra gear for travel (prayer paraphernalia, books, cable pack, snacks), yet shrinks back to a reasonable size when all I’ve got is my lunch and collection of way-too-many EDC knives.

And no matter the kind of trip, it can tackle it. Overnight stay to get away from the kids? Done. 3 day work trip to North Carolina? No problem. 3 day winter break with the kids in Louisville? Got it. Week with the boys in Scotland? Yup. 10 days with the wife in Israel, along with day-pack use? Check. 2.5 day Design Show in Milan? Sure.

It’s a great airport companion, as the quick release strap adjusters and swing-to-the-side move make backpack carry almost as easy to access as messenger carry, and always stymies TSA just enough that they tend to give up on it quick and leave me alone. And I love being the only guy on the Metra in Chicago with this bag. Other than that one time I sat next to another dude with the same bag, and proceeded to make a new friend.

4) Backpack Carry Now almost any backpack could theoretically satisfy this requirement, but Peak does it in a pretty special way. The straps are fairly comfortable, very ergonomically sculpted, and have a giant swiveling rivet at the top that allow it to fit my 6′2″ 230 pound frame, as well as my 5″4′ 120 pound wife, all without issue. It has a somewhat ventilated back panel, to ease comfort a little (but still doesn’t quite measure up to a serious hiking pack like an Osprey), though it will still yield a pretty sweaty back with prolonged wear. But for a bag that’s rigid, holds its shape well, stand on its own when you put it down, protects your gear, and has a water-resistant coating, it’s a pretty dang comfortable bag.

5) Water Bottle Carry YES. This bag does this better than almost any I’ve seen. The side pockets are deep, fit even GIANT bottles, and somehow tuck flat back against the bag when not in use. It looks fitted empty, with my slim travel umbrella, or a 750ml bottle in it. And it has a pocket on BOTH sides.

6) Laptop Carry Do you carry a giant 17″ CAD Mobile Workstation? Then you’re out of luck. Anything else, and you’re covered. It fits my 15″ Mobile Workstation just fine, and that’s massive. The 20L would fit a 15″ standard laptop as well. It’s got a soft protected pocket with top access, keeping it separate from the main compartment, and it expands to the inside of the bag when occupied, so the bag does not physically grow when you add a laptop. I find it nice that the bag always maintains the same profile. I don’t have to readjust on the train to avoid hitting people if all of a sudden my bag is really full. It also has a tablet sleeve, but I find it hard to keep one in there if I’m toting my beast laptop. Admittedly, this is a problem for very few people.

7) Svelte but Spacious As I said above, I love the fact that the profile of this bag pretty much never changes. Yes, it gets slightly taller when it’s crammed, but front to back, side to side, it’s always the same, semi-rigid structure. It’ll always fit under the seat in front of me on the plane. I won’t accidentally hit people with it because I forgot I added a pair of shoes. Yet it looks sleek, and not gargantuan, even though it can hold up to a generous 30L. It’s more like 22L when not fully expanded. Granted, it looks on the larger side when my wife is carrying it, but on a, uh, fully grown male such as myself, it looks just fine. Not too large for EDC.

8) Generally Awesome Designers like toys. We love novelty. Cool features. Little pleasant surprises. This bag is full of them, and they continue to provide joy on a daily basis. This is how products should be. From the unique magnetic latch and bar system, to the hidden magnets for the water bottle and hidden pockets (everyone loves magnets), various hidden tethers, stretchy expandable pockets, lovely detailed hardware, plethora of carry handles that don’t look like luggage handles, this bag just delights over and over. Even with it’s few frustrations.

Ok, so now I want to share my wishlist for the next Everyday Backpack. Nothing is perfect, and this bag is no exception. So here are the VERY FEW issues I have with this bag, after about 2 years of use for both EDC carry and frequent travel, both domestic and international.

1) I wish there was a small, quick access pocket. Not big, not deep, but a pocket on the outside of the bag that I can stick the boarding pass, earbuds, train ticket, spare change, passport, or whatever single random small thing I need to stick somewhere that's not in my pants pocket, but can quickly take it right back out without undoing 2 zippers or a flap. Like the Timbuk2 Napoleon pocket.

Maybe along the seam between the side and back panels. A little 6 inch zipper. I like the pocket in the laptop pocket, but can't access that with the quick sling to the side move. I would like to get at that pocket using that move.

2) I wish there was a dedicated spot to clip a carabiner onto the shoulder strap. Gotta keep my keys somewhere quick. They include a tether for keys in the water bottle pocket (that uses the same clip as their strap system, oooOOOooo), and I like the tether, but it's not the fast access of a carabiner. This is a couple ways I've been doing it, but it took a while to figure out these solutions. I could use a couple loops on the strap to do it.

3) I wish I had a good document storage solution. I have a hulking laptop, so that pocket won't work if my laptop is in there. I need another thin vertical sleeve. I’ve seen a YouTube video with a workaround for that, but it’s inelegant, and renders a divider and a lot of space much less useful.

4) I wish I had better writing implement organization. Maybe 5 dedicated pen slots. I know I'm not most people, but as a Designer, I have a handful I need with me. Sharpie, pen, pencil, Xacto, felt tip, pocket scale. They scratch against each other in a shared pocket, and the material is too thick for the clips to clip onto for most of them, so they tend to slide too far down to reach quickly. I also don’t like that it’s not quick to pull out a pen. It’s swinging the bag to the front, opening a zipper, opening a flap, opening another zipper, pulling out the pen, then reverse. Nah.

5) Sweat. So. Much. Sweat. I’ve worn this for hikes, all day shopping in markets, at trade shows, in giant airports, and the back sweat is measurable in inches. Not as bad if there’s a coat and it’s cold, but if this is on the shirt on my back, I will be wetter than I care to be in normal attire.

6) While I like the little pocket at the top of the zippered laptop compartment, it grows into the main pocket, and right at the top. This pocket is the natural place for sunglasses, keys, etc, but as it grows, it greatly interferes with access into the main compartment, and can also crush stuff in that little pocket.

7) I’d love to see other kind of dividers or organization options that can attach to that velcro-ey interior of the bag. I wanna get their tech bag that fits nicely, but would love to have some more specific options available to mix and match with.

There's a part of me that hopes they never put these into play, because I don't wanna drop another $280 on a bag. But if they do, I happily will.

#edc #everyday carry #backpack #bag #messenger #camera #dslr #gear #travel #luggage #review #design #peak design #peak #industrial design #product design #product review

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calteahood · 6 years ago

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How to Fall in Love {Calum Hood}

Rating: PG 13 (some swearing!)

Word Count: 9k

Author’s Note: Well, here it is! I’ve spent a while creating this and I’ve dealt with quite a bit lately, but it was finally time to post it. I hope you guys enjoy this, and any feedback would mean a lot to me! Enjoy xx

It starts with sex.

Sex and stupidity.

At twenty years old, it's human nature to make stupid mistakes. Except this one would last a lifetime.

Iris read the little pink stick that showed all the signs of positive, even though she knew deep down she was pregnant no matter what the stick said. A period that late wouldn't lie. She was still in community college and working an unpaid internship at a studio closer to downtown LA. Most importantly, she wasn't married nor did she have a stable life. She was in a casual relationship, living in a cheap apartment, taking the bus to work or getting driven by Eddie.

And of course, there was Eddie himself. Iris and Eddie loved each other, that's why they were dating in the first place. But, they weren't in love. No, if they were then they wouldn't be so casual with their relationship. They enjoyed each other's company, worked well as friends in general, and liked loving each other during the nights. They were fine with the labels because they were actually dating, but they knew that someday they would marry other people. Eddie was a good man, graduated from college and even set Iris up with the internship. That's how they met; they both wanted to work in music. Eddie was already working, being 24 years old, almost 25. He was a sweetheart to set up the internship in the first place. Ever since then, they were connected.

Except now, the connection was going to become a lot more real, and neither of them were prepared.

Iris sighed and put the stick into a plastic sandwich bag, shoving it in her purse. She was already late for work. She meant to meet Eddie and her boss, Matt, at 10:30 in the morning, as a band was coming by to start producing their next record. She hadn't been working at the studio long enough to work with them, typically working for solo acts, and at the rate, she was running she would not be able to make a good impression on the band members, or her boss. She messaged Eddie, saying she would be a few minutes late due to an emergency, and got an Uber. Iris was thankful for financial aid; for being able to receive enough for school, rent, bills, groceries, and a bit extra for times like this.

She rushed into the building twenty minutes late, struggling to pull her unbrushed hair into a bun to look at least somewhat presentable. She pressed the elevator button for the seventh floor, preparing in her head what she would say to Eddie. He needed to know right away, and they needed to figure their shit out.

“Eddie, we need to talk— no!” Iris rehearsed. “Hey, I found out something… no, that's stupid. Eddie, I'm pregnant. No, too blunt, fuck—” Ding. Before she knew it, the elevator doors opened and she had to face the music. She would rather not have to face it in front of her boss and four musicians she's never met, but it had to be done and there was no time left.

Iris quickly walked into the studio room, opening the door to Eddie and Matt adjusting the sound, three men on the couches laughing, and the fourth man holding an acoustic guitar behind the glass. All eyes went to her, except for the man in the sound booth.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Matt teased. “Come and sit, we're just getting started. You can help me out over here.” But Eddie was already walking towards Iris, a look of worry on his face.

“Hey, love,” he quietly said, “are you okay? What was the emergency?”

Iris started to dig in her purse, finding the plastic bag with the stick and gripping it tightly, but not pulling it out yet. She turned to Matt. “I'm sorry I'm late, I had a bit of a medical emergency. Do you mind if I talk to Eddie privately, please? It'll only be a couple of minutes, I swear!”

Matt raised an eyebrow. He had a child of his own, and he remembers how only two years ago his wife was nervous and trying to tell him, “Hey, I'm pregnant!” He knew she was about to tell Eddie something that would change his life. He couldn't tell her no, even if she was late to work. He nodded. “Go ahead, but don't take too long!”

“You got it, boss!” She grabbed Eddie's hand with her free one and pulled him out into the hallway.

Instead of saying anything to her boyfriend, she pulled out the stick and placed it in his palm. Fuck it, might as well just put it all out there. “So, this is mine. The stick, I mean.”

Eddie's face was pale, eyes wide. “You're pregnant?” Iris nodded. “With an actual baby?” Eddie asked. Iris nodded once again, this time with a roll of her eyes.

She sighed. “I'm pregnant, Ed. I don't know what happened, if I missed a pill or the condom broke, but my period is late and I doubt the stick is wrong.”

This time, Eddie was the one nodding. “Well�� fuck. What do we do?” he asked.

Iris shrugged, only knowing one option for the time being. “Well, first we need to book an appointment for an ultrasound. Figure out for an absolute fact that there's something growing in me, then we decide from there.”

Eddie was already grabbing his phone out, ready to book you an appointment for whatever doctor she needed. “We'll figure this out, love. We will.” He wrapped his free arm around her, the stick still tightly held in his fist, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I hope we do, Ed. I hope we do.”

•••

“So, you're about four weeks along. There are options, love.”

Iris gripped the steering wheel, offering to drive Eddie's car. She needed a distraction after that appointment, and a phone in her hand wasn't going to cut it. Honestly, she didn't know what she wanted to do. She was pro-choice, but she personally wouldn't terminate the pregnancy, so that was out. There was adoption of course, but Iris always wanted to be a mom, she just pictured it being later on in life. Could she really carry a baby for nine months only to give it away?

“I'm not sure…” Iris mumbled, staring at the road as she drove back to her place. “I think… I think we need to talk about us, Ed.”

“I know,” he murmured. “I… I know, love.”

“I have a question, and please answer honestly. You weren't ever planning on marrying me, right?” There it was, out in the open. She already knew his answer. Hell, it was the same as her own.

He shook his head. “No, I wasn't. I thought this was casual—”

“Well so did I,” Iris cut in.

Eddie sighed. “Calm down, love. There's a way to figure this out. If we break up, there are still options. My parent's co-parented me and I turned out fine! I'll always love you, and if we have this baby then I'm going to love it too, but that doesn't mean we have to be married with a white picket fence outside our house.”

Iris huffed, pulling into the parking lot for her building. As she put the car in park and unbuckled she turned to her boyfriend. “So this is it?”

Eddie chuckled, grabbing onto her hand. “With you? Never. I'm going to be a dad! You're going to be stuck with me forever.”

•••

Iris cursed the world for her morning sickness. Well, more so morning and afternoon and night sickness. She started her day with being bent over the toilet, throwing up. She was almost six weeks along now, and she wished time went by faster. Once again, she was rushing to get to work. It was Friday, thank goodness, and Matt was throwing a party to kick off the weekend and celebrate how the recording session with the band had been going.

Iris was nervous to be working with four, intimidating men, but she quickly found out they were nothing to be afraid of. When she found out 5 Seconds of Summer would be working with their studio her palms immediately got sweaty. They were an award-winning band, all tall and strong musicians. How could she not be sweaty? But, they turned out to be giant dorks and Iris was grateful. Plus, with her and Eddie officially on the “just friends” title (who are going to have a baby, no big deal) and her belly not big yet, she thought this would be the perfect time to flirt with the drummer.

Honestly, watching Ashton that day made her forget about the morning sickness from earlier in the day. His biceps straining the sleeves of his tee shirt, forehead covered in a thin sheet of sweat. He was a beast, and Iris was infatuated with the handsome man.

Until he walked into the party with a girl on his arm.

“He has a girlfriend?” Iris hissed as Eddie, who only laughed. Iris had a water bottle in her hand, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't think about chucking it at him.

Eddie took a sip from his cup. “I could've told you that! Plus, I'm hurt! Moving on that fast, I see?” Eddie then clutched at his heart as if his feelings were truly hurt.

If Iris had a penny for every time she rolled her eyes at the man, she'd have enough to pay for diapers for a whole month. “As if we weren't checking people out while we were together.”

“True. Aren't you lucky we have this baby to keep us bonded for life?”

This time, Iris actually swatted Eddie's chest. “Don't joke about that! Babies are serious.”

He laughed again. “We have time to prepare, Iris. Chill out.”

She was about to make a comment back, but Calum and Michael walked towards them with a smile on their faces. They pulled the two into a hug. “How're you guys doing tonight?” Michael asked.

“Great,” Eddie said, “and yourselves?”

The two musicians wore smiles, probably buzzed and having a fun time. “We’re good, man. Came over and saw that Iris needed a drink,” Calum replied. He bumped his elbow with hers and offered her his extra red cup as if he made the spare drink just to give to her. When he noticed both hers and Eddie’s eyes widen a bit, he took a step back. “What’s wrong? You don’t drink or somethin’?”

Before the awkward mess of a girl could think of a response, not wanting to even say the word pregnant around that many people, Eddie cut in. “She’s my DD for the night.” He threw an arm around her shoulders as she clutched her water bottle.

Calum’s shoulders fell, but he nodded in understanding despite the disappointment. “Alright, well we’ll leave you guys be.” With that, Calum turned and walked out to the backyard, Michael following behind him. “I thought they broke up? Or stopped hooking up, whatever it was?” Calum blabbered on while Michael took a sip of his drink, his gaze stopping at the pool where his girl was talking to her friends.

“You know,” Michael started, “they could just be close friends? You heard them tell Matt they weren’t dating anymore, had some stuff goin’ on. Doesn’t mean it was a bad breakup.”

“But his arm was—”

“Dude, we hug and hold each other’s girlfriends all the time! It doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with Ashton’s woman. They’re friends, that’s very clear. Just go up and talk to her, I’m sure she’d be interested in talking to you.”

Calum finished what was in his own cup before beginning to drink from the extra one he had made. “You’re right, Mike. I’ll talk to her.”

Michael patted him on the shoulder. “Good, and now if you’ll excuse me...” With that, he walked over to the pool, slinging his arm around his fiancee.

Calum looked down at his full cup, and with an annoyed sigh, he tossed it and his empty one away. His gaze stayed on Iris, watching as she spoke to one of the interns from the floor under hers at work. Calum couldn’t help but watch, really. He had thought Iris was drop dead gorgeous the moment she rushed into the studio just weeks ago. Finding out she was single was the best news he had heard all week. No offense to Eddie, but Calum wanted so desperately to invite Iris over for dinner and a movie or two on the couch before, hopefully, moving towards the bedroom. The party was supposed to be his shot; ask Iris out and show the pretty girl a good time! He just was not expecting to see Iris and Eddie so close, and it stung a bit.

He watched when Eddie finally disappeared from her side and he said fuck it. If he was going to ask her out, might as well do it now. The worst that could happen is she says no. He left the conversation with his roommate and Luke to make his way to Iris, who was grabbing more water from the kitchen. As he approached closer, he saw her bend over to grab a bottle from the bottom of the fridge, eyes almost glued to the curve of her ass. She stood back up, closing the door and turning to face the bassist.

“Fuck!” Iris gasped, hand moving to her chest, feeling her heart race. “You scared me!”

Calum chuckled, but his palms were sweaty due to nerves. I’m going to scare her off before I even have a chance. “Shit, I’m sorry. Just wanted to come and say hi.”

As her breathing settled, she let out a laugh. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you to be there. But, hi! Shit, I mean, what’s up?” Iris stumbled with her words, feeling her stomach begin to bubble. Her throat burned for a moment, but she tried to ignore the feeling she’d gotten used to over the weeks.

“Well, I just wanted to see if…” Calum cut off his sentence, seeing Iris’s face scrunch up in disgust as one hand held her stomach and the other covered her mouth.

“Fuck, sorry, excuse me!” Iris mumbled through her fingers before pushing past him and fast walking to the closest open restroom. She kicked the door closed, trying as fast as possible to kneel over the toilet. She used one hand to brace herself over the toilet seat and the other to hold her hair back.

She faintly heard the sound of the door opening. Then she felt warm hands wrap around her hair. She would have been scared shitless if it wasn’t for the faint voice telling her, “Woah woah, you’re okay.” As awkward as it was that Calum Hood, the man she didn’t know well, came to her rescue, she did not push him away as she continued throwing up.

Twenty minutes later she was swishing around mouth wash that she found in the cabinets and Calum was making sure the toilet seat was clean. Iris leaned down and spat out the mouth wash. “Thank you, Calum,” she whispered, her body still shaking from how sick she felt just minutes ago.

Calum shook his head. “Don’t mention it. As long as you’re feeling better.” He moved to the sink in order to wash his hands and Iris made room for him.

Finally looking up to see him, she groaned. He was handsome. Really handsome. But she was also really, definitely pregnant and she couldn’t get through talking to him without getting sick. She needed to come to terms with the fact that the party scene, chatting with beautiful men and having hookups could no longer be her world. “I am… I should probably get going.” She pulled out her phone, opening her Uber app.

Calum cocked an eyebrow, drying his hands off on his pants and turning to her. “I thought you were Eddie’s driver?” His head was spinning instantly. Was he lied to because Eddie didn’t want anyone talking to her? Or, did Eddie make that up because Iris was uncomfortable next to the bassist? Before he could say anything else, Iris spoke up, gaze still on her phone.

“He’s just got shit runnin’ out of his mouth. I don’t even have a car.”

Calum’s head snapped up from her phone to her face. “What?”

She looked at him, sighing. “He just didn’t want me drinking, that’s all.”

“Are you sick? Or—”

Iris confirmed her Uber, which said it would be there in ten minutes. “No,” she said. “I just… look, can I trust you?” Her question took him by surprise, but he nodded. “I’m serious, if Matt finds out I might lose my internship.” Again, he nodded. “I… so, you know Matt and I broke up, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said quickly.

“Well, we weren’t really in love, but we have this problem and… and he’s just being a protective friend.” Iris held her belly, fearing that telling someone would make her feel sick again. The only ones who knew were her parents and Eddie’s. Was it weird to tell Calum? Then again, he did help hold her hair back as she was throwing up. He’s obviously a good guy. “I’m… pregnant.”

His eyes widened. He coughed a bit, stammering, “Wow, that’s um… a lot.”

And Iris looked at his bulging eyes, and she giggled. What a boy, she thought. She smirked, “Yeah, it’s kinda a lot. Still want to chat me up after hearing that?”

If his eyes weren’t already open wide at her first statement, they’d grow in a heartbeat. “How’d you know?”

She laughed. “You wouldn’t just hold my hair back if you don’t care about me to an extent.”

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Fair point. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I didn’t realize.”

“No no no,” she rushed to say, “you’re fine! I’m not showing or anything, you didn’t know. It’s okay. Plus, you came in here to help even though I was puking my guts out. I think I’m not ready to hook up or have any dates, I mean obviously the baby didn’t like me talking to someone,” she teased, and they both chuckled. “But,” she continued, “I appreciate the kindness, and just so you know, if I was able to drink I would’ve taken that extra cup from you.”

Calum smirked, feeling like maybe he was getting somewhere. A sudden burst of confidence ran through the man. “Well, will you take my number instead?” Iris gave him a look, but a smile was on her lips. “Not so I can try to get at you,” he confirmed was a laugh. “Just in case you need a friend again.”

Iris’s phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling to her that her Uber was here. She pulled out her phone, handing it over to Calum so he could type in his number. He sent himself a message, ensuring the text went through, and he gave her phone back.

“I'll text you, Calum. Thank you again for helping me out tonight.” And with that, she left the restroom.

Calum and Iris began to talk a lot more, making conversation during recording sessions and texting frequently. Calum would send pictures of his dog, and in return, he’d get “baby bump” photos, even though Iris was hardly able to show yet. The grew close, and Calum was thankful. He met her, thinking she was a hot young girl who would be fun to hang out with and even more fun to have sex with. But, the universe has a funny way of showing him what’s more important because after that night at the party she wasn’t just a girl he wanted to hook up with. She was a smart, strong, beautiful woman who had the world on her shoulders. She was so much more than what he thought she would be, and Calum was proud to call her a friend.

That’s what Iris needed, too. A friend. She was expecting to end the party on Ashton’s arm, but instead, she got Calum’s hands holding her hair back and his number in her phone. She was happy to have him as a close friend, especially with how crazy life can turn out to be. She wasn’t expecting him to be her rock, but sometimes people don’t get what they want.

•••

When falling in love, there is heartbreak and pain. It's a given. Though, typically it's those who are in a relationship that feel the pain. Instead, it was Calum and Iris.

He wasn't expecting to be the first person she'd call in a moment like that. He'd be lying if he said she'd be his first phone call. He had to push his feelings aside and just be a friend, a supportive one during her pregnancy. With his crush on her now faded away, he would easily call Ashton, Luke, or Michael. If his sister wasn't in a different country, he'd call her too.

But Iris didn't have many other friends. She went to school and worked, and then when the semester ended she worked and slept. She stopped going out, and no one messaged her to invite her to places anymore. She only had Eddie, Matt, and the boys in the band. That is, until she didn't.

He got the call at two in the morning. The cell phone woke Duke up first, and he let out a few small barks. After a few rings, Calum finally picked up his phone, and seeing that the caller ID said 'Iris Miller's he answered quickly. He was expecting her excited voice, begging him to pick her up for some late night In N Out, even though she claimed she didn't like the place. Maybe she needed someone to go with her to an appointment the next day due to Eddie canceling on her. Her twelve-week appointment was coming up, and she was excited that she was finally going to be ready to share her pregnancy news with everybody. Maybe, just maybe, she called him because she was so excited and needed to share her excitement.

What Calum wasn't expecting when he answered was Iris hyperventilating, struggling to get the words out. “Eddie's dead.”

And he froze. What was happening? What was going on?

He finally managed to get out a couple words, hearing Iris's heartbreak on the other line. “Iris, what's going on? Breathe, in and out, in and out, and tell me what happened.”

Her hands were shaking as she sat on the hospital floor, her back against the hallway wall. She stuttered her words, her mind unable to wrap about what had happened only an hour ago. “He— he went out— I don't know if it was a date or hanging out with friends, I don't know! And he walked into the gas station by his apartment, Cal, fuck— he was so close to home and…” Iris inhaled deeply, feeling like she was going to throw up.

As soon as she began to speak, though, Calum sprang out of bed. He pulled on sweats and a hoodie, slipping his feet into Vans and lacing them up as fast as he could while the held the phone between his shoulder and his cheek. He couldn't process her first sentence, “Eddie's dead.” All he knew is that Iris was panicking; she needed a friend, and Calum assured her that he could be that friend for her.

Eddie's parents and step-parents were down the hall, crying, speaking to doctors, making phone calls of their own, and mourning the loss of their only son. His sisters were on their way from their own homes, one living an hour away and the other living in LA, closer to the beach. But Iris had no one as she curled herself up on the floor. She called her parents, but they were a three-hour drive away and were fast asleep, unable to answer their phones.

She took deep breaths once again, trying to calm her breathing while her shaking hands only got more unsteady. “He walked into the gas station, Cal, and there were only two people; the man at the register and another man, holding a gun, Cal. He walked into a robbery, Cal, a fucking robbery! And he should have tried to back out slowly, but he grabbed his phone instead! He called the police and all they heard when they picked up was a fucking gunshot! He was dead by the time I got here, I— I didn't even get to say goodbye, Cal! He's gone and I have his baby and he's fucking gone.”

Calum slipped into his car, leaving Duke to stay at home with his roommate. The number of times she said his name, it's as if she was trying to stay grounding, remind herself that he's there with her.

“Iris, hey,” he said softly, starting his car. “Tell me where you are and I'll be there, okay? Just breathe for me, and I'm on my way.”

She nodded to herself. He's there, he's coming to help. “Okay, yeah. I’m at the hospital, I'll send you the address if you need it. I'll tell you where I'm at when you get here. Just… don't hang up, please,” Iris begged, her voice so low, so quiet. Calum had never heard her so defeated before within the few months they'd been friends.

True to his word, he stayed on the line until he got there, helping her keep her breathing steady. When he finally made it to the hospital he jogged inside and tried his best to get to the floor she was on as swiftly as possible.

Calum found her against the wall, two people that looked just like the man who passed at the other end of the hall. They looked at each other and Calum immediately sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms. Together they sobbed, reality hitting Calum like a train. Eddie, who'd been a friend of his since recording began, was gone too soon. But what hurt more was that he left behind a child, and Calum was at a loss on how to pick up the pieces.

•••

Iris's pregnancy was supposed to be a wonderful time where her and Eddie prepared to bring a baby into the world and give them a sea of opportunities. Instead, she was alone. She didn't have a pregnancy glow and didn't post pictures of her sonogram photos to let the world know she was expecting. She wasn't loving pregnancy like she was supposed to; no, she wasn't loving anything at all.

Eddie’s death made her feel like she was in purgatory. Due to being pregnant, she had to keep on going for the baby's sake. Though, she was just going through the motions. She felt like a part of her was missing, which to an extent was true. The baby was part him, and the baby was now fatherless.

Her heart was conflicted. She wasn't in love with Eddie, but he was a good and sweet man who was gone too soon. Gone before he could meet his own child. It was unfair, and it made Iris feel numb. She got to the point where she wouldn't want to think of the baby. She was supposed to find out the gender of the baby over the upcoming week, but she made no appointments and showed no interest within the baby. She was no longer living, she was merely existing.

News of her pregnancy spread after the funeral, and she was thankful it was never brought up during the service. Calum told the boys and the people at the studio that Iris was expecting, knowing all too well that she would make no move to speak of it. Michael was too upset by the recent events to crack a joke or two about the pregnancy considering Calum's former crush. Ashton was silent more often than not. They took time away from the studio. But Calum tried to visit Iris, considering they would not be seeing each other at work. It was weird; Calum didn't see them as too close, and then all of a sudden she relied on him and he vowed to be her crutch. He loved it, really, but he was worried about what was to come as the pregnancy furthered. He worried about her health and the baby's health, because Iris wasn’t taking care of herself after the passing. He also worried because she was going through her pregnancy without the father, and the baby would have to suffer that within a few months. He never wanted that to happen, not to Iris or her child.

Calum watched as Iris hid herself from the world. He knew for damn sure she wasn't taking care of herself. Her mother was worried about her, and she all but begged her to come back home and live with them during their latest phone conversation. But Iris clung onto Calum tighter. He didn't know why he was the one she attached herself to after the accident, but he would never turn her away. He was just worried.

Eventually, the guys would be going on a small promotional tour, and he feared leaving her in California. The boys understood, to a fault. They knew Calum wouldn't love her like a boyfriend would, and desperately hoped he wouldn't revisit his crush for her considering the fact that she was carrying a baby and a lot of emotional baggage, two things the boys did not want Calum to take on. Though, they also became her friends throughout the recording process, and then even more as she spent time with Calum. They knew that Iris somewhat attached herself to him long before she lost Eddie. Ashton figured she hadn't had someone around to be a friend for a while, and when Calum presented himself as a good option at the party, she slowly but surely hung on to the man.

Calum was stressed, thinking that while he was gone maybe she wouldn't take care of herself, or her baby. He felt like he already had to force her to watch over her body and the new life growing inside it half the time. He honestly could not recall the last time she even mentioned the word, “baby.”

Finally, it was time for her 20-week appointment; an appointment she wasn't even planning on attending. She cried in the shower, thinking about how today was supposed to be the day they would find out if they were having a bouncing baby boy or a gorgeous little girl. Only now, there was no they, only Iris was left. Or so, she thought, until she opened the door to leave her place and catch the bus to the appointment. There stood Calum, his face covered with a hat and sunglasses, and a light jacket she hadn't seen before thrown over his shirt. He was covering himself, trying to go unnoticed if he was going to be seen with a pregnant woman. That wouldn't be good to see all over Twitter later on.

“Cal… what are you doing here?” Iris questioned.

He shot her a soft smile. “I know you didn't want to go today, thought I might as well go with, be your moral support.” He offered his arm out to her, and she slowly took it, the other hand closing and locking her door before moving to rest on her little belly. Well, little for now. The baby was growing more and more each day, she didn't think of her middle area as small anymore.

“Thank you, it means a lot.”

He shrugged, trying to play it cool, but he knew this was a big deal for her. It was his goal to get her out of her rut, and hopefully seeing the baby would help that. Eddie may be gone, but he left her the greatest gift he could, and she wouldn't have to do anything alone as long as Calum could help.

They made it to the appointment, having enough time to stop by Starbucks and get a drink considering Calum drove. Iris hated having to plan her schedule by bus routes, and he knew that. They waited for ten minutes before getting called back. Calum was in awe as he watched Iris lift up her shirt so her doctor could smooth the jelly onto her stomach. It was the first time he'd seen her belly close up, and it hit him. She's going to have a baby in her arms in twenty weeks, and their dynamic would change. It frightened Calum, but he knew that's when she'd need him most.

“So,” the doctor began, “are we here for just a check-up or did you want to find out the gender too?” She smiled at Iris and Calum.

Iris bit her lip. “Umm… I don't know.” She looked to Calum, who was standing by the corner. He nodded, wanting her to figure out. Pleading with her to humanize this baby.

She thought for a second, before saying, “Just a check-up, but could you write it down on a little card and give it to him?” Iris motioned to the man who accompanied her. He looked confused, but sighed and let her continue on anyway.

The doctor nodded and continued the appointment. The doctor pointed out the little one's fingers and toes, took measurements to record the growth, and ran a couple tests to ensure the organs were fine. She told Iris to eat a bit more, making sure the baby gets big and healthy, but other than that everything checked out.

At the end of the appointment, the doctor wrote down the gender on a slip of paper, folding it and handing it over to Calum, without saying a word. The doctor was aware of how off Iris had been lately, so what she wanted she will get. She deserved it after all she lost. He slipped the paper into his pocket, vowing to himself to check it later when he's alone. When they got back to the car, Cal offered to buy them lunch, and Iris didn't oppose.

“Hey Cal?” He turned to her, viewing her from behind his sunglasses.

“Yeah?”

She looked down at her hands on her belly before gazing back at him, a soft smile playing on her lips. Something he rarely saw. “Thank you for taking me today. And thank you for taking the paper. I'm not ready to find out the gender… yet. But knowing that you'll know gives me comfort.” A blush rose to her cheeks.

He chuckled, placing a hand on her thigh and rubbing a bit. “Whatever you need me to do to make you comfortable, I'll do it. No worries.”

And for the first time in eight weeks, she didn't worry. She ate a good portion for lunch, took her vitamins like she was supposed to, and ended the night cuddled next to Calum and Duke on the couch at his place. It eased her mind knowing that Calum would do whatever it took to make her happy, especially considering the father of the baby wasn't here anymore. Iris and the baby would be without Eddie, but maybe they wouldn't be alone.

•••

“You okay, Cal?” Luke's voice snapped Calum out of his trance, blinking a few times before turning away from the window to look at his curly best friend.

He nodded. “Yeah, why are you asking?”

“You seem a bit off, that's all.”

Calum knew he was acting weird. They left for their promotional tour that morning and he didn't know when he would be back in California. It could've been a couple weeks, or it could've been at least a month. “Just… worried, really.”

Luke nodded, understanding. “Worried about Iris?”

“Yeah,” Calum confirmed. “I want her to take care of herself. She seems to do better when I'm there, and I don't want anything to happen to the baby.”

“You know…” Luke debated on what he was going to say. “I know you love her, we all do, and we want her to be okay, but it's not your baby. Some things she has to do on her own.”

Calum turned his body to his friend, now fully facing the tall man. “What do you mean by that?”

Luke huffed but tried to hide it. “You aren't the baby's father… when that baby is born you don't need to—”

“Let me stop you there,” interrupted Calum, “I'm not trying to be the baby's dad. I'm trying to be Iris's friend because in case you didn't remember, the only close friend she had before me fuckin’ died and now she's left alone to raise her first kid. If I can help Iris out with her needs than I will, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of the band. They can be to separate things, ya know? And that's what friends do, they help. For fucks sake, all I want is for that little girl to be okay, doesn't mean I'm trying to be her dad.” With a grunt, he turned back to face the window, watching the clouds pass by.

Luke was trying to think of a way to respond, and possibly apologize for his poor choice of words, when he stopped in his tracks. “Wait, did you say it's a girl?”

Calum quickly turned to Luke, his eyes widening. No one was supposed to know, not yet. New until the birth. Jesus, even Iris didn't know, and she's the one carrying the kid.

He stumbled on his words before saying, “Fuck— just forget about it, alright? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go use the restroom and worry in peace.” With that, he stood and squeezed between Luke and the seat in front of them before walking to the airplane's bathroom.

Michael slowly turned around, looking at Luke between the chairs. “Smooth, Lucas,” he teased.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Whatever, it was either going to be me or Ashton who said it, and I know from my own personal shit that Ashton is way more blunt than me. That could've been a lot worse.”

“If you say so, Hemmings. Anyway, considering we know it's a girl now, what should I get Iris for her baby shower?”

•••

Iris survived the few weeks without Calum, befriending the girlfriends of his bandmates and trying to get closer to the ladies she worked with. Matt offered her a position at the studio, knowing she could use the job during the time being. Though she wasn't qualified yet to work with the equipment by herself yet, she'd do just fine as an assistant to Matt.

She made an effort to put herself out there, knowing she couldn't rely on Calum being her only close friend when he was constantly touring. That meant she had to grow closer to the ladies at the studio, and befriending the girlfriends was a plus. Matt was helpful, and he had a family of his own, so he and his wife helped Iris pick out the crib and other products she needed.

She even wanted to have a gender reveal and a baby shower. She thought about inviting her family down to LA and having a celebration. She finally felt happy to become a mother, even if Eddie was gone. The only issue with celebrating was that Iris was trying to put in as many hours as possible with her new position as an assistant before going on maternity leave, ensuring she'd have enough money to support her and her baby before she went back on the job months later. This meant she worked until she was a bit past seven months. She had plans of setting up some sort of baby shower now that she was on maternity leave, but she needed to rest for a second.

She was at Calum's house, almost eight months pregnant when she felt the craving. She wanted something cheap, fast food would do. Duke was resting on her lap, having grown protective of the mom-to-be and the little one in her belly. “Cal,” she called out. Moments later he stuck his head into the living room; he had been in the bedroom putting away clothes.

“What's up?” he questioned.

She jutted her bottom lip out, ready to pout to get her way. “Can I borrow your car? I'm hungry.” It wasn't uncommon that she'd borrow the car for fifteen minutes, driving it to the nearby store or fast food places, bringing back enough food for both of them. Sometimes Calum would take her, and sometimes he'd go by himself to get her the meal she was craving, but right now he was busy with chores and wanted to finish cleaning up around the place.

He smiled and nodded, motioning to the coffee table. “My keys are in the bowl right there. What're you gonna get?”

She shrugged, pushing herself up off the couch and grabbing his keys. “I think maybe Taco Bell. It's such bad food but it's what this baby needs right now.”

Calum laughed at this, shaking his head at the woman. “Alright, well get a twelve pack of tacos and hurry back, I'm hungry too! Be safe!” With that, he went back to his chores.

Iris hopped into his car, adjusting the seat to fit her round tummy. She took off, heading towards the Taco Bell that was no more than seven minutes away. She thought about how soon she'd be having her baby, and she worried that she wasn't ready. She'd done a couple classes, set up an almost finished nursery in her guest room, and bought enough neutral toned onesies for the kid (and a few dinosaur ones, an adorable fluffy pink tutu, and a couple overalls that look like they would fit dolls). Maybe it was time she found out the gender. Invite over the co-workers, the bandmates, their girls, and her parents. Have a small gender reveal and baby shower all in one. Or maybe, she'd just ask Calum. He was the only one who knew, and he'd tell her in a heartbeat. He was good about doing what she asked; if she needed anything from him, he was there, and she didn't know why. She didn't know what was so special about her that made him stick around, especially considering her hectic life. But no matter all the times he could have left, he didn't. And it only drew her in more. She was thankful that he tried hitting on her all those months ago, and part of her wishes that they did get to be flirty and hook up that night. Then, the morning after they could have talked for hours about their lives before planning another date. Then another, and another. He gave her a love that Eddie didn't, despite the fact that Eddie was actually her boyfriend. It felt different with Calum.

Though, Iris had to remember what Ashton told her the last time they had a get-together. “Cal can't become a dad yet.” When the baby comes, Iris knew she would have to distance herself. The boys were right, the baby would not be his problem or responsibility. It was purely hers. She knew that the boys were not trying to be harsh. They were her friends, they loved her and she loved them. Calum isn't dating Iris, and he had told the boys time and time again that he was not interested in dating her. The boys thought that Calum would need to put himself first, then the band next, and if he was taking care of that baby then what would happen to the band? Iris wouldn't want to get in the way. But for now, she was enjoying her lazy days with him, hanging out in his living room and coming together with his — now their — friends for movie and pizza nights.

Iris was making a left turn, getting close to the plaza area with the small food joints, when she heard a honk. It pulled her out of her thoughts, instantly crowding her mind with a new fear. The second slowed down, almost freezing, as she looked to her right to see a car entering the intersection, running the red light that was above them.

It was 5pm when he got the call. Her emergency contacts were made aware of what happened, but she begged the paramedics to also call Cal.

Iris was hit in the intersection, spinning out and damaging Calum's car beyond repair. When the ambulance arrived they immediately decided to rush her to the emergency room, noticing her belly and they knew of the damage that could have been done to the baby. She was awake but in pain. Both mentally and physically, worrying about the ache in her midsection, afraid that this one little accident could have taken the life of her child.

Calum was rushing more than he had when Eddie passed. He had to run to Ashton's house to get a ride to the hospital, Ash offering to take him. He thought of the possibility of losing Iris, and he honestly wanted to cry. She had become a staple in his life over the time they'd known each other, and he didn't want to lose her yet. It hit his heart in a way no loss had ever had before, and he quickly became well aware that he had to face those feelings as soon as he knew she was okay.

When the boys made it to the hospital he saw the commotion of wheeling Iris to some sort of surgery room, and Calum panicked. He rushed over, and she noticed him, telling the paramedics this was the man she called.

He looked at her body, which had been hastily dressed in a hospital gown, and feared the worst. The baby.

“Cal, they're doing a C section,” Iris told him as he tried to keep up with the wheels of the bed she was being pushed on. Her voice was smaller than ever, breathy and trembling.

“What's wrong? Is everything okay? Are you—” He wanted to fucking scream.

She shook her head, tears falling onto her cheeks. “I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen,” she cried. He grasped her hand and squeezed. “Cal, if anything does happen, if I lose them, I just—”

“Her.”

Iris gave him a confused look.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. Ashton watched from the end of the hallway. “It's a girl, Iris. You're going to have a beautiful baby girl and she's going to make it. She's going to be strong, just like her momma, okay? She's going to make it.”

The tears feel more. “I trust you, Cal.” Those were the last words she could get out before being rushed into a different room, a nurse keeping Calum out. He wanted to punch a wall, he was so anxious. He felt a hand grasping shoulder, turning to see Ashton. Without a word Ashton pulled him into a hug, holding him tight and securely. The doctors would protect Iris and that little girl, and Ashton would protect his friend.

•••

Four hours later, Iris was holding a tiny girl in her arms. Her parents, who came as fast as they could, met the baby along with Eddie’s two sets of parents, and they took turns going in the room to see her as Calum waited. Iris had a couple broken bones, and bruises littered her body, but the baby was okay. Born about a month early, but she was alive and, for the most part, healthy.

The boys and their girlfriends had all joined Calum, waiting until they were given the clear to see her.

“I get it now,” Michael had told him during the wait, none of them at the time knowing if Iris or the baby would be alright. “It's easy to tell you to not get attached when she's fine. But now we don't know if they'll be okay, and it hurts.”

Luke reached out to hold onto Calum's arm. “I'm sorry for saying you shouldn't prioritize her. We all are.”

“The way you were there for her today… I know you love her, Cal. We shouldn't get in the way of that,” added Ashton.

Calum sighed, looking up from his shaking hands. “I tried so hard to not grow feelings for her, to just be a friend, because that's what she needed. But today just showed that I don't know what I would do if I lost her, or that baby. I don't know how to do this whole ‘love’ thing, especially not with a kid, and it scares the living fuck out of me, but…”

“You love her, and that baby. And that's okay. Sometimes life hits you when you least expect it. But we're going to support you, and we're going to love that little baby too, even when things get rough,” Luke told him, the rest of the group agreeing.

Eventually, everybody had to leave, considering visiting hours had ended. Iris's mom told Calum he could stay, and after hours of waiting, all the parents left the room, allowing Calum to go and see her.

He opened the door slowly, and a tired Iris greeted him with a smile on her lips. “Hey,” she whispered.

He smiled back, his attention turning to the baby in the clear crib next to her bed. “How is she?” Calum asked, his voice soft despite his worry.

She hummed, thanking God for the baby beside her. “She's beautiful, Cal. Here, come see.” She set up, scooting over on the hospital bed to allow him to sit beside her. She gently scooped up the little baby into her arms, the girl naturally clinging to her mother.

She was tiny, so very small. Her chart read she was 5 pounds and 1 ounce. The beanie on top of her head looked huge on her, and the blanket she was wrapped in practically swallowed her. But she was safe, healthy and here.

Calum reached a finger out to caress her rosy pink cheek, her skin still bits of pink and purple. Eventually, her skin would turn into a tan, matching her mother's and Eddie's. Her eyes were big and brown, but she was too tired to open her eyes and show Calum. Iris knew the baby would inherit her brown eyes, which she inherited from her dad, but a bit of her hoped she'd get Eddie's blue color, which always stood out against warm skin. But, she did have his nose and a dimple on her cheek, and Iris was okay with her being a beautiful mix of both her parents instead of being a carbon copy of her late father.

“She's gorgeous,” he mumbled. She let out a little whine every now and then, but she did cry, even when she was placed into Calum's large arms. “I'm so happy she's okay,” he admitted to Iris, relief taking over.

“She's my little miracle baby. I couldn't be more thankful.”

Calum turned to her. “I'm happy you're okay too. I don't know what I would've done if I lost you.”

She blushed, avoiding eye contact. “Thank you, Cal. For everything. I know it's been a long few months.”

“It's been my pleasure.” He held the little girl to his chest, keeping her warm. “Have you decided on a name yet?” He stroked her cheek again, loving the little coos she let out.

Iris watched Calum hold her girl, her heart pounding in her chest. She never pictured herself becoming a mother so young, and she couldn't believe she spent the first half of her pregnancy so mad at the world, because she fell in love so easily with the tiny child her best friend was holding. There was no warning for how deeply she fell for her baby, and she knew no love would be greater. And then, there was Calum. His love was much more complex. Though, he was there showing her how to fall in love with him every step of the way. She learned from him that falling in love could happen through helping one another out, and being a friend before all else.

She shrugged and looked down at her face. “Rose, I think.”

“Why Rose?” Calum asked out of curiosity.

“Because, her cheeks are so rosy, and it'll remind me that despite all the shit that happened, I got a healthy, beautiful, blushing baby out of it.”

Calum chuckled. “It's beautiful. Cheesy, but beautiful.”

She lightly swatted his arm, giggling brightly. “Well, roses were also Eddie's favorite flower, but I thought that would be even cheesier.”

He shook his head. “Not cheesy at all, I'm just teasing you. Any thoughts on a middle name?”

She shrugged. “I'm not sure. I was thinking… maybe you could pick it?”

Calum was shocked but honored nonetheless. “Me? You sure?” She nodded. “I think… Anahera. It means ‘angel’ in Māori. I remember my mom always called my sister that when we were little. Plus, this little one is an angel, and she’s got an amazing guardian angel watching over her.”

Iris smiled wide. “I love it, Calum. It's perfect.”

“So is she,” he whispered. Iris cuddled into his arm, watching the man she loved hold Rosie Anahera.

Falling in love was not something she was looking for at the beginning of the year. Now, come months later, she was head over heels for the man who tried hitting on her at a party, mother to the most beautiful little girl, and had her best friend as a guardian angel to watch over the mother-daughter duo. The two sat together in mutual understanding that hey, maybe they did love each other. One thing was certain, and that was that they each fell in love with Rosie, and they were ready to show her a love like no other.

So maybe falling in love for Iris began with a little slip-up, resulting in a journey of a pregnancy, but it ended with her and Calum holding what would become their little girl. And she couldn't be happier.

Taglist: @flannelpunkcalum @gigglyirwin-main @gigglyirwin @astrosashton @softforcal @singt0mecalum @youngblood199456 @gothliath @bitterbethany @cunnillucas @justacrush @pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles @heartachecth @glitterprincelu @hereforlukescruff @irwinkitten @converse-luke @c-sainthood

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cakesunflower · 6 years ago

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Reach For You [Dad!Calum AU] Ch. 1

Chapter 1

ASPEN HAD NO idea how the hell she managed to get herself in this situation. She wasn’t even that drunk where she couldn’t figure out where she was; just a little past tipsy, a nice buzz in her system, but nowhere near wasted that would leave her victim to drunk circumstances. So how in the world did she end up in a club throbbing with life, especially since it was its opening night, when it was the absolute last place she should be? The more she thought about her surroundings and where she was, the more her buzz was going away and forcing her gradually clearing mind to grasp the severity of the situation. She was going to murder her friends.

Who, at this point, were a mesh of faces in the thundering club. Through her sobering confusion, Aspen couldn’t remember how they even got in here, seeing as when they arrived the queue was wrapped around the block—or maybe that happened after they got on line after bar hopping for the past few hours. The pounding music made it hard for her to think.

“You look miserable!” Aspen almost sighed in relief at the familiar voice of her best friend, Jodi, shouting in her ear over the music. She glanced to her left, catching sight of the blonde peering at her. Aspen was grateful that out of their group of friends, Jodi had decided to be the sober one of the night.

“You know it’s a bad idea for me to be here,” Aspen responded, pressing against the indoor balcony railing of the club, glancing down at the bodies in the center dance floor and many more littered around the club. Aspen figured this was a successful opening night. Looking back at Jodi, she couldn’t help the worried expression taking over her face. “It’s opening night—he might be here. I can’t see him.”

Understanding flashed across Jodi’s face as she, too, looked around, as if they’d find the face they were trying to avoid. But it was dark and the only lights were coming from the ones flashing to the beat of the music and the ones that made up the dancefloor. “I doubt we’ll run into him, Penny,” Jodi tried to comfort with a smile. “It’s packed in here. The chances of seeing him are basically slim to none.”

But that didn’t stop Aspen from nervously chewing on her lower lip, probably eating off whatever lipstick she had left. Honestly, it was her own damn fault for not paying attention where she was being dragged off to. If she had even an inkling that they were waiting in line to get into Wicked Sensation, then she would have bolted in the opposite direction before anyone could bat an eye. Now she was in the heart of the lion’s den and she was admittedly shaking in her heels.

“Come on,” Jodi spoke up after a few moments of silence between the two were passed by with Aspen cautiously looking around. “Let’s get you another drink. Maybe it’ll help you wind down a little.”

Aspen snorted as she felt Jodi’s hand grasp hers. “Oh, yeah, just feed into his business,” she sarcastically quipped, missing the way Jodi rolled her eyes as she pulled her down the stairs and towards the bar. They pushed through the many people around, though it wasn’t too difficult. There were lots of people here, but not to the point where everyone was packed like a can of sardines. That’d be a fire hazard, after all.

She stuck with a beer this time, having had enough of the hard stuff as she took a sip of her drink and looked around. It was a nice club, she had to admit; a DJ set up front and the balconies they were just on connected up on the sides and above the DJ booth, a VIP section off in the corner on the right, and the bar taking up most of the left side of the area with three bartenders working it.

For the most part, as Aspen slowly finished her drink, she felt okay. Jodi sat next to her, nursing a soda, as the two of them sat with their backs against the bar and eyes on the dancefloor. They eventually caught sight of their small group of friends, the girls and guys dancing with one another or some interested stranger. Aspen wasn’t much of a dancer, only when she was too drunk to care, and she was perfectly content with just sitting and watching.

By the time she had finished her beer, Jodi was standing up. “I’m gonna join them—you wanna come?”

Aspen shook her head, putting her empty bottle on the bar as she, too, stood up. “I need to head to the bathroom first. I’ll be back.”

Jodi nodded and Aspen wandered off, her eyes having already located the black and white sign for the bathrooms off in the corner. She made her way through the bodies and eventually stepped into a small hallway, relieved to see there wasn’t a queue as she stepped inside the surprisingly large, multiple stalled bathroom.

Once she used the toilet and washed her hands, Aspen paused for a moment and looked at herself in the mirror. The club’s music could still be heard loud and clear in here, and there were a couple of girls drunkenly giggling as they touched up their makeup, wandering out after complimenting Aspen on her dress, which she smiled at. She loved drunk girls in club bathrooms.

But then her smile diminished as she realized whose club she was currently in, and a bitter taste was on her tongue—none of it any residue from the alcohol she’d consumed. It was almost painful, being here, but she didn’t want to ruin her friends’ fun, especially because they were all drunk off their asses and didn’t make the connection of why Aspen would be against being here. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t wait to go home.

With a sigh and running her fingers through her dark hair, Aspen gave her head a shake before heading towards the door. She was about to turn to her right to exit the hallway, but even over the sound of the deafening music Aspen could hear soft thuds and contented moans coming from her left. And she had no idea why she stopped and looked, but she did, and she didn’t think she could regret a decision so quickly.

It was a couple, with the girl pressing and all too willing guy against the wall as his fingers dug into her hips through the material of her dress, kissing her heatedly. But then the girl shifted, directing her lips to the exposed skin of his neck, and the guy tilted his head back and his lips parted at whatever feelings she was invoking, and Aspen felt herself sucking in a sharp breath when his face was suddenly in clear view for her.

Oh. Oh, fuck.

She thought the music was too loud, but her gasp could be heard in the hallway, and suddenly his eyes were opening and Aspen felt every drop of blood in her body freeze when his dark eyes met her green ones, and the air stilled. Her mind was screaming at her feet to move, to get the hell out of dodge, but those eyes. . . She hadn’t seen them in four years, and just like they used to, they were again freezing her in place.

Aspen saw the way his eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her, and she was stunned that the realization that set on his features had come so quickly as his head suddenly straightened and lips previously parted in satisfaction tilted downwards in confusion. Everything suddenly felt too hot, felt as though the walls of the hallway were beginning to close in on her. It wasn’t until Aspen noticed his ring clad fingers grip the girl’s shoulders, about to push her away, when her body kicked into gear. Aspen didn’t spare another breath as she took off, going as fast as she could in her heels and practically running out from the hallway and into the lively part of the club.

She didn’t bother to see if he was following her, her heart hammering like it’s never done before, her wide eyes going towards the dancefloor and the crowd of people gathered on it. Aspen felt so lucky that she caught sight of them right away and threw herself into the crowd, ignoring the bodies rubbing up against her as she pushed her way towards them hastily.

Knowing she was the most sober one, Aspen grabbed Jodi’s hand, who looked at her instantly as Aspen shouted over the music, “We need to get out of here! Now!”

Jodi took a brief moment to take in Aspen’s demeanor, noticed her panic stricken eyes and drawn together eyebrows, and she instantly knew what Aspen had feared came true. The two girls shouted a haphazard goodbye to their friends, all of them too drunk to notice or care, and they were suddenly making their way towards the door.

“What happened?” Jodi gasped out as they stepped out into the cool New York air, not even pausing as they hurriedly made their way down the sidewalk away from the club, crossing the street towards a twenty-four hour cafe.

“I saw him,” Aspen breathed, ignore the sharp pain in her right foot because of the heel as they entered the cafe, pressing a hand to her forehead as she looked at a shocked Jodi. Aspen breathed heavily, hoping to catch her breath that had been lost not during their quick getaway, but because of what she saw. Who she saw. “Oh, God, Jodi,” Aspen groaned, clenching her eyes shut as she turned away from the door and began speaking too quickly, like she always did when things got to be too much, her words jumbling together. “I saw him. He was right there and he saw me. I’m pretty sure he was coming after me but I just—I ran. But he definitely saw me. Oh, fuck.”

Aspen was pretty sure she was about a second away from having a full blown breakdown. She didn’t even care the workers and some of the customers at the cafe were throwing looks her way. For four years she managed to avoid him, and now that completely changed in a matter of moments. She was freaking out from seeing him that she didn’t even want to acknowledge everything else that was being brought up with the sight of him—especially with the sight of him making out with some girl. Was it some girl he just met or a girlfriend?

The fact that she found herself concerned over that made Aspen want to punch herself.

“Relax, hon,” Jodi soothed, squeezing her hand while her free one worked on her phone. “The Uber is gonna be here in two minutes. You won’t have to see Calum again.”

Aspen swallowed the lump down her dry throat. If only she knew how wrong Jodi had been.

*****

When she heard the excited yet light knocking on the door, Aspen found herself smiling knowingly as she walked over. Right when she opened the door, she heard the unexpected shriek of, “Mama!” before a small body was attaching itself to Aspen’s legs.

Aspen’s older brother, Richie, chuckled in amusement as he entered the apartment and the green eyed girl bent down to pick up her four year old daughter. “Hi, bubba,” Aspen cooed, grinning at her little girl, whose chubby cheeks were pushed up as she grinned happily to show off her tiny teeth. Aspen kissed Luna’s cheek loudly before asking, “Did you have fun at Uncle Richie’s?”

“Yeah,” Luna responded happily as Richie put down her overnight bag on the couch, making his way over to the kitchen to help himself in the fridge. “We watched Moana and Zootopia and Frozen and lots more.”

“Oh, yeah?” Aspen hummed with raised eyebrows, wandering over to the kitchen as her eyes landed on her bemused brother, unable to help her smirk as she knowingly asked him, “How’d that go?”

Richie narrowed his green eyes at her, pointing at his sister with his bottle of water as he responded, “Next time, you’re sitting with three little girls and having a Pixar marathon. I’ve had it.”

Aspen let out a laugh, knowing that this would definitely not be the last time Richie was forced to watch those movies with his two daughters and niece as he huffed and took a sip of his water. Looking back at Luna, Aspen asked, “You hungry? Want a sandwich?” When Luna nodded, Aspen set her to the ground. “Go wash up.”

As Luna ran off down the hallway, her small feet thudding lightly on the sleek floors, Aspen walked around into the kitchen to prepare her a plate. “How’d last night go?” Richie asked, sitting on the counter that separated the kitchen and living room, no walls separating the two to make it a more open space.

Aspen took in a sharp breath as she put together Luna’s roast beef sandwich, one she picked up a taste for over the past few weeks, chewing the inside of her lower lip as she thought of the night before’s events. If she was being honest, she hadn’t been able to get any sleep last night; every time she closed her eyes, she saw the disbelieving look of realization she’d seen on Calum’s face at the club before it transformed into the one of utter heartbreak she’d seen four years ago.

Too many memories had been dug up last night, and Aspen had spent the night staring at the ceiling and wondering if the universe was against her or something. She had tried not to cry, but she’d be lying if she said a couple of tears hadn’t escaped. Four years later and it still hurt. She was still upset, maybe a little angry—but it was a confusing situation. Her anger wasn’t directed at Calum. Just at the circumstances.

“I saw Calum,” Aspen admitted with a sigh after putting the plate on the table for Luna, arms crossing over her chest as her gaze flickered to her brother.

She didn’t think Richie was one for dramatic reactions, but upon hearing her words, he choked on the water he was drinking, sputtering some out as he coughed. Aspen’s eyes widened a bit in startlement as his coughing subsided before he exclaimed an incredulous, “What? Where?”

Aspen let out a long slow breath before recounting last night’s events to her brother, watching as his bemused expression of when she said they went to Calum’s club transformed into one of what could only be described as yikes when she mentioned catching him in the hallway with some girl. Then the shock returned when Aspen said how Calum seemingly recognized her and was about to walk over to her before she bolted.

“Shit,” Richie breathed, his eyes wide as he leaned back. Then he shook his head, eyebrows pulling together as he said, “Sorry you had to see that son of a bitch again, sis.”

“Richie,” Aspen said in a warning tone, shooting him an exasperated look. “It’s not—it wasn’t his fault. He doesn’t know.”

“Which is a bunch of bullshit,” her brother retorted, scowling in disapproval. Richie scoffed lightly with a shake of his head, asking, “Don’t you think he should know?”

Richie couldn’t even get that entire sentence out because Aspen, who had known what he was about to say, immediately began speaking over him. “I don’t want to talk about this. What’s done is done.”

“What’s done is do—are you kidding?” Richie countered incredulously, hopping off the counter as he stared at her in bewilderment.

Aspen pressed the heels of her palms to her temple before dropping her hands to the side, demanding, “What am I supposed to do, Rich? Go up to him and say, hey, Cal, I know I broke up with you without a decent explanation but here I am, four years later to tell you you’re a dad!? I can’t do that.”

Richie had an expression of indifference as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t see why not.”

Aspen parted her lips to retort, taking a breath, only to pause when Luna ran into the kitchen-slash-dining room and pulled herself up on the chair, immediately digging into her pasta lunch. Aspen watched her, standing next to her chair as her hand settled on top of Luna’s dark, thick curly hair that she inherited from her father. Aspen swallowed whatever words she was going to say as she watched her daughter, feeling her heart settle heavily in her chest.

Knowing Richie was right left a bitter taste on her tongue, which felt thick from guilt and the hurt she’d been carrying for four years, which she had hoped to be rid of by now but was still ever present. Luna deserved to know her father, and while the little girl didn’t question Aspen quite yet why most of her friends in pre-school and her play group had fathers and she didn’t, Aspen knew it was only a matter of time before she did. And telling her the bitter truth was not something Aspen could bring herself to do.

How was she supposed to tell her four year old daughter that her father wasn’t even aware of her existence?

tags: @cakestan @crownedbyluke @gotta-try-something-new @rishlo @bitchinbabylon @calistajs @ghstofcalum @dxmncalum @letsfxckindance @unsexilexi @calumthoodsyonce @grreatgooglymoogly @therainydays4 @sadbreakfast-club @lifeakaharry @codycasperky2 @biggestslutforcalum @complete-trash-101 @kinglyhemmings @hemmomfg @friendly-neighborhood-michelle @cxddlyash @checkeredcalum @lovelettercalum @nostalgia-luke @captain-what-is-going-on @slimthicccal @kaytiebug14 @bloodytbs @miahelizaaabeth @ghostofhood @elsysoza @writing-in-riverdale @tourettesboi @angelbbycal @bbteamlove @xorforeverx @stfujace @thebodaciouscth @helplesshood @runawaywithme-xo @lietomemyvalentine @emma070900 @cosmixcalum @babygirlcashton @calumamongmen @5sos-stan4lyfe @ihatemyself21 @lipstickstainfading @crystalisinfinite @misskarynie @wrappedaroundcal @wcstethenights @michealcliffturd @akacalciumhood @clum-thomas @poppedpins @dollbitxhes @5saucewho @hearts-to-the-sky @booklove-2@walkedhomealone @andreabjoerg @qualitylu @softboycal @early-thoughts @5saucefanfic @dher216 @all-i-want-is2b-loved-by-you @babyloniancal @xlov3quotingx @aybbblondie @rexorangecounty @flowerchild8341 @romanticalumhood @sharkboy-mara @kaxseychill @babyloncalm @calistheloml @calumh-excess @egyptiangoldhood @irwinkitten @asht0ns-world @visualm3nte @xhaileyreneex @cal-pal-cuddles @invisiblexcth @soulmatecashton @gettingjillywithit @cliffordcntrl @mermaid-merrick @dannisos @cals-babylons @mysteriouslycali @calsxmas @sassy-asht0n @hoodcentral @cathartichaoss @inlovehoodx @gigglyirwin @grinchluke

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hempoilfrog1 · 5 years ago

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How To Make 500 Dollars Fast In Less Than A Week

The cost of living is constantly on the rise. And our paychecks seem to never be enough to cover all bills. Then someone gets sick. Or your car breaks down. Or you get invited to 7 parties in one month. While you probably have an emergency fund for that, even that can be depleted. So, when your through to the last penny, how can you make money? Perhaps 500 dollars really fast!

Wait, what?

500 dollars in less than a week?

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How To Make 500 Dollars Fast In Less Than A Week

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20 Ways To Make 500 Dollars Fast

1) Take Surveys

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Dropshipping is where you become a middleman— selling a manufacturer’s product to a customer, but the supplier stores, packages, ships and delivers the product to the customers. With DropshippingMart, you have access to millions of products that you can add to your store without having to worry about the hassle of logistics, inventory management, shipping, and delivery.

It is probably not the quickest way to earn 500 dollars, but once you build your dropshipping business, you will be able to earn a nice flow of more than 500 dollars. Read Here: How To Start A Drop Shipping Business With Little Cash

3) Reselling Digital Services

If you need aside hustle that pays well, then nothing beats the digital services nowadays. More and more businesses are looking for services for web design, social media, SEO, graphic design, digital marketing, virtual assistants, app design and video production. And even if you do not have the skills to do these, you can always be a reseller. You buy these digital services and then resell them to businesses in order to gain profit. Reselling business is a great way to earn some quick cash, especially if you are already working in the digital service industry. Read Here: Reselling Business: How to Make Money Reselling Digital Services

4) CBD Oil Business (Trending)

With the Hemp Farming Bill passed, the hemp industry is definitely booming. And it has become a lucrative business, even for the new entrepreneurs or for some looking to make some extra cash.

So, how can you profit in this industry?

Becoming a reseller is probably the easiest way to get started in the CBD business. By making a small business and purchasing products from a wholesale vendor, you can make profits by marking up the products that you sell.

You can also grow hemp, yourself. Without the farmers growing the hemp, would CBD even exist? So, if you have a green thumb, then you can try growing this plant and sell it to manufacturers. Another way is to promote CBD affiliate products and earn a commission for selling these products. You can even create a YouTube Channel about CBD, reviewing products, talking about its benefits, seminars and just about any topic about CBD. Read Here: How to Start Your Own CBD Business Without Any Sales Experience

Read Full Review Here

5) Review Websites

Did you know that when you review websites, you can earn cash? Websites like UserTesting believes that great customer experience always starts with human insight. Thus, they allow users to sign up to test, review and provide feedback on various websites, In addition, bigger sites like eBay, Adobe and even Facebook have partnered with UserTesting, utilizing the service of “testers” to gain feedback and improve their websites. Here, you can get paid for $10 for every website review.

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6) Apply For A New Credit Card

Earn a fast $500 by applying for a new credit card. Most credit cards have sign-up bonuses where you’re rewarded with cash and points upfront.

This option works best only if you know that you have an upcoming big purchase. This is because most of these credit cards allow you to have access to these cash rewards after spending a certain amount.

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Just remember to manage your finances properly and always payback in a timely manner once you have a credit card so you do not have to die from paying high-interest fees!

7) Become A Driver

If you own a car, then becoming a driver is another option to earn some extra cash. Uber and Lyftare nice options to get you started. These apps work by paying the drivers a percentage of the fee that is charged to customers. Additionally, drivers can also earn more tips.

Becoming a driver is a nice option since you will be able to choose the days you want to work and the jobs that you want. Money earned can vary from city to city, but it ranges from $8.55 – $11.77 after expenses. You can increase your earnings by taking in more jobs and taking advantage of the peak hours. The extra jobs can add up fast and allow you to earn an extra 500 dollars in no time!

8) Do Deliveries

Another great choice to make money if your own vehicle is to do some deliveries. You can sign up through sites such as Amazon Flex that allows you to have flexible working hours and pays you $18 – $25 an hour for deliveries. Other websites to look for are Postmates, Uber Eats, Seamless, and Instacart.

9) Rent Out A Spare Room

Renting out your spare rooms can help you earn a quick 500 dollars. Sometimes, however, it is not always easy to get tenants. In order to make the process easier, you can just list your spare room on Airbnb and start diversifying your source of income. Once you have a tenant, you can start making for more than $2,000 per month in some cases. Check the other listings in your area to see your potential income and make a listing of your own.

10) Blogging

Probably one of the most profitable jobs online, with some determination and hard work, you can make a 6-figure extra income from blogging. However, it is not a get a rich quick job. You will be putting a lot of effort, time and patience to make it work. However, once you do, it is worthwhile. Once you get the hang of blogging, you won’t have to worry about making 500 dollars in an instant, because you’ll be making more than that.

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Top 8 Reasons Why CTFO is One of the Fastest Growing MLM Companies

Find Out How CTFO Can be the Secret to Your Online Success

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The post How To Make 500 Dollars Fast In Less Than A Week appeared first on Sell CBD Oils.

from https://hempoilfrog.com/how-to-make-500-dollars-fast/

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carmenlire · 6 years ago

Text

Une Semaine

read on ao3

It starts on a Tuesday.

Alec takes a long drink from his triple mocha and grimaces a little as the dregs hit his tongue. It’s his fourth-- sixth?-- coffee of the day and he shakes his head a little as he blinks owlishly at the screen of his laptop.

This history paper is due in three hours for his afternoon special topics course and Alec still has eight pages of disjointed notes to type up-- along with his bibliography which, because his professor’s an asshole, has to be in APA format.

So when he looks up, Alec isn’t expecting to lock eyes with anyone. He’s been in this coffee shop since it opened at 5am and it’s going on eleven now. He figures he probably looks like a wreck right now-- bloodshot eyes betraying the nonexistent sleep he’d gotten the night before, hair in disarray from running a frustrated hand through it, his clothes downright slovenly-- and he’s wearing a pair of sweats that has NYU’s Rugby insignia down the leg with a hoodie that’s as ancient as it is comfortable.

In short, he looks like a typical college kid during midterms.

This guy, though. He looks like he just stepped off the pages of a goddamn NYFW spread.

His hair is height defying, his makeup sharp and a little intimidating, if Alec’s being honest with himself. His shirt is unbuttoned a fair bit despite the chill that’s started lingering in the October air and with his notes spread out on the table, clearly neat and organized, Alec figures they’re two sides of the same penny right now.

Jesus Christ, Alec thinks.

Their eyes meet and the low thrum of coffee shop chatter, the clatter of mugs and the rustle of paper, just fades away. The man’s eyes are brown-- so deep that Alec knows he could easily drown in them-- and there’s a hint of teasing in his gaze even if Alec wonders if it’s at his own expense.

There’s a beat -- then two then three-- where their eyes stay locked. Then someone coughs, loudly and with enthusiasm, right next to his fucking chair.

Jerking out of the daze, Alec glares at the middle aged man who was spitting all over the shop’s copy of The New York Times. He shakes his head in disgust and turns back to his laptop. His panic surges as he looks at the time and sees that a whole three minutes have passed since he last looked.

This paper is forty-five percent of his grade and yeah, sure, maybe he shouldn’t have waited until the day it was due to write the fucking thing but Alec’s never claimed to be a pillar of academia.

He can’t help himself, though. Looking up, Alec’s heart flutters just a little-- the traitorous bastard-- as he sees Model Boy looking right back at him.

There’s a challenge in his eyes that Alec might just have taken him up on literally any other day. Cursing the professor, the class, and the entire university to boot, Alec smiles apologetically and looks back down at his page of notes.

He types his paper a little angrily and a lot frustrated and ends up making it to class with ninety seconds to spare-- and somehow, against all odds, scores an A- on the midterm from hell.

It starts on a Friday.

Magnus is out at Ray’s, the local bar, with his friends. He just graduated-- a semester early, thank you very much-- and he’s swapped out his cap and gown for his best outfit. He’d spent ages on it, that and his hair and makeup. This is his last time going out as a college student. Tomorrow, the clock ticks forward and he’s a has-been, an alumnus.

The thought is mildly appalling even if Magnus is already slated to start his master’s program next month. It seems appropriate, somehow-- a new chapter to ring in the New Year.

This is the first stop of the night and it’s more laid back, casual. Magnus drinks a few long island iced teas-- the bar’s signature special, cheap and with enough alcohol to really get the night going-- while his friends make ridiculous toasts that make nostalgic tears prick his eyes. But then they’re moving on to flashier, louder venues. The bars start blurring together after a while and they’re at their final bar-that’s-more-of-a-club when Magnus sees him.

The boy from the coffee shop a couple of months ago. They’d never spoken, then-- Pretty Boy had obviously been suffering the term paper of the damned and Magnus sympathized. Luckily, he was mostly coasting by this semester, though he’d been working on a semester long project as a sort of senior capstone.

Still, he thinks. There’d been eye contact and Magnus had shivered a little, imperceptible, as he’d lost himself in those stunning hazel eyes, bright even across the room and even when they were bloodshot and drooping from exhaustion.

Alas, the man in question had smiled and focused back on his paper and Magnus had admired him from afar before collecting his things and going off to meet the professor who’d be mentoring him through his doctorate.

But as Magnus watches the brooding man at the bar, sipping a ridiculously pink drink, his curiosity reignites.

Magnus doesn’t think he can blame the vodka on the intrigue and want the floods him-- or at least, not very much.

Detaching himself from where he’d been dancing with a delightful woman, Magnus makes his way to the bar and as he leans against it-- not even wincing as his arm lands in a sticky puddle of who-knows-what-- he gets to watch those eyes widen almost alarmingly.

There’s conversation after that, flirty and fun but with an undercurrent. They have to shout to be heard over the riotous bass and ear-splitting music of the club. Magnus leans close and introduces himself and hears the breathlessness in Alec’s voice as he returns the favor.

They share a few shots and Magnus draws Alec onto the dance floor. They dance too close-- but not close enough-- and he’s a little surprised and a lot appreciative to find out his Pretty Boy has moves.

For the rest of the night, they don’t stray too far from each other. Catarina passes them on the dance floor with someone and just rolls her eyes. Raphael is at the bar and doesn’t spare him a glance from where he’s talking to a guy that looks as excited as he is tipsy.

The club announces last call but neither Alec nor Magnus leave the dance floor. They stay until the music stops and the house lights turn on and everyone starts making their weaving way towards the front door.

His arms had been around Alec’s neck and Magnus urges him closer until their foreheads touch. Alec’s mouth is open and there’s a flush high on his cheeks.

Magnus can’t resist.

Tilting his head, Magnus leans in until they’re kissing and it’s grounding even as it makes his heart stutter.

The bouncers have to break them apart a minute later but Magnus isn’t annoyed. No, he pulls back and sees Alec watching him with a slow, sure smile. They’re ushered outside and the December air is downright brutal when Magnus feels so overheated.

Magnus presses close to stay warm and they wait for their Ubers to arrive. Magnus sees his friends out of the corner of his eye and notices Alec acknowledging a pair close to the curb.

Time seems to go by much faster as his veins are swimming with liquor and it feels like just a minute later that Alec’s stepping back as his sister comes over to say their ride’s arrived.

Magnus is crestfallen until he’s not-- because before he goes, Alec ducks in and kisses him again and they exchange numbers as snow starts to fall.

It’s a Wednesday morning and if you would have asked Alec before, he would’ve said Wednesdays were his least favorite. There was none of the anticipation of Monday and the weekend still felt dreadfully far away. Wednesdays were an in-between space.

But then one morning, Alec wakes up wrapped in gold sheets with Magnus wrapped around him.

He turns around slowly-- so as not to disturb his boyfriend-- and his breath catches.

Magnus is always beautiful but the morning light turns him ethereal. He’s sleeping, face bare and hair going every which way. There’s a bit of drool on his chin and Alec finds it more endearing than disgusting-- which must be saying quite a bit about how much he loves--

Loves.

Alec’s heart seems to stop, his chest shuddering at the realization. They’ve been dating for several months but all of a sudden this feeling coalesces in Alec. It’s nothing terribly new. It all makes sense now. This is what everything’s been heading towards since the beginning.

Alec loves Magnus and as the words flow through his brain, Alec relaxes against the sheets. It seems obvious as his eyes scan his boyfriend. He’s never felt like this before, no man has ever inspired this incredible well of feeling in him.

It feels like a new chapter and Alec has the sudden, desperate thought that he hopes this particular book is infinite, with no end in sight.

Magnus wakes up a few minutes later and smiles blearily at Alec before shuffling forward. His momentum is halted, however, when Alec opens his mouth.

The words tumble from his lips, soft and sure. Magnus eyes widen but even then he’s grinning. Alec echoes the expression when his boyfriend buries a hand in his hair and hauls him close across the sparse space of their separation and lays a kiss on him that makes him dizzy-- only to break apart just when things were getting interesting.

His boyfriend is breathing hard as he searches Alec’s eyes for something. He says three little words, mouth tilting up at the corner, and something in Alec eases at the confession, at the declaration.

They stay in bed until the sky is high in the sky, until Alec’s alarm starts blaring and he has to jump out of bed or risk being late for class-- Magnus, meanwhile, is free until his evening TA shift.

Magnus laughs at him as Alec takes a record shower and strides toward the small portion of his boyfriend’s closet that he’s started stashing things in.

He throws on one of Magnus’s hoodies by mistake and shoves the sleeves up to his elbows. He’s just about to run out of the apartment when he looks over on the bed and stops.

Magnus is reclining on both their pillows, scrolling aimlessly on his phone. He’s relaxed, content, and it’s nothing special. It’s just Magnus wasting a few minutes on his phone.

That’s what makes it everything.

This is the man that now owns his heart and Alec wouldn’t have it any other way.

Striding back to the bed, Alec leans over and kisses Magnus-- it’s deep and desperate but just a minute before it turns softer and lingering.

When Alec remembers himself, he pulls away abruptly and all but runs out of the apartment with Magnus’s laughter following after him.

Well, this is shaping up to be the worst Monday Magnus has ever had.

Eyes smarting, throat working, he stares at the front door that had slammed closed just a few minutes before. He holds himself rigid, tension making his shoulders ache, before he sighs heavily.

Swallowing hard, Magnus takes the few steps to his chair and settles into it without any of his usual grace. He tilts his face up and thinks about the past hour and the volcanic argument that seems to have been brewing for the past week.

The thing is, it all seems so silly now. They’ve been living together for six months and Magnus has had a shitty week and Alec wouldn’t just put the goddamn dishes in the goddamn dishwasher. All Magnus wanted to do was hold Alec for a few hours and let his temper fizzle out.

Instead, Alec had stubbornly insisted on just rinsing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen from dinner-- best to get it out of the way now, he’d shrugged-- and the next thing Magnus knew, they were yelling.

Remembering some of his insults, he winces. He’s defending his thesis in a couple of weeks and he feels so much pressure that it feels like he should be turning into a fucking diamond any second now.

This is their first real fight and what a doozy it had been. Things had escalated from bad to awful and it had ultimately ended with Magnus calling Alec a fucking child and suggesting that they’d talk when he grew up.

The loft had stilled and Magnus had stopped breathing as he replayed the past seconds as lead settled in his stomach. Alec had studied him for a beat and his eyes had shuttered before he’d turned on his heel and left without a word.

Jesus Christ, Magnus thinks. He’d been such an asshole.

Alec had given as good as he got, though, and Magnus winces again as he remembered biting retorts and scathing accusations about him not letting Alec in, even after all this time.

Wryly, Magnus realizes that Alec might just have a point. They’ve been together for over a year and Magnus still tries to keep a part of himself from Alec. He’s been in a few relationships and been told that he’s too much.

He really doesn’t want to be too much for Alec.

It’s all come to a head tonight, though, he’s forced to admit.

Distantly, he wonders how long it will be until Alec returns. He tries not to think if.

Magnus pours a glass of wine and then another. Evening descends into night and Alec has yet to come home. So, he drinks and he thinks and he worries and he agonizes.

All in all, their relationship is so damned easy that Magnus really should have been prepared for this entire thing to blow up in his face. And he knows that this isn’t what this is. They had a fight. All couples fight, they all have shitty days and accidentally take it out on their boyfriends and it’s not the end of the world.

Rationally, Magnus knows that.

But his heart hurts and the more wine he drinks, the more it seems to ache in his chest. He’s carried his own insecurities and fears through this relationship and this fight-- Alec’s stoic departure-- leaves his mouth dry.

Maybe it’s true, he wonders. Maybe Alec has finally seen something he can’t love and maybe this is the end that Magnus has been dreading since the start.

It’s after midnight and Magnus has finished the bottle of wine when the front door opens quietly. Alec walks in, looking exhausted and even so far away, Magnus can see the shadows bruising under his boyfriend’s eyes.

Alec closes the door and stares at the black wood for long minutes. The room is silent and Magnus doesn’t want to ruin it, doesn’t want to start round two before it feels like he’s even gotten his breath back from the first one.

All of a sudden, Alec sighs and his shoulders drop. He turns away from the door and toes off his shoes. Running a hand through his hair, he turns toward the living room and freezes when he sees Magnus sitting in the chair.

No one says anything but Magnus watches as an expression comes over Alec’s face. Alec walks over to him, doesn’t stop until he can kneel between Magnus’s spread legs.

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey, yourself,” Magnus returns and flinches when his voice cracks.

They talk and there are tears and hard truths but Alec stays. They apologize and reassure and when Alec says that Magnus could never be too much, that he wants everything Magnus has to give-- that he wants it all-- something settles in Magnus.

He’s a work in progress. They’re a work in progress.

Magnus wants to see this through, though. Distantly-- he tells himself it’s far too soon-- he hopes that seeing this through translates into forever because he can’t imagine ever wanting to give everything to anyone but Alec.

It’s Sunday afternoon and Alec hasn’t done anything today. He feels tired even though he got a full eleven hours the night before-- along with a two hour nap just this morning.

Somehow, he thinks it’s the kind of exhausted that can’t be slept better.

It’s been so long since he’s been in a bad place that he hadn’t noticed the signs until they’d slapped him in the face. Everything is so much effort. It’s almost impossible to wake up in the mornings for his internship at the law office-- and he loves it there.

Loved?

No, Alec resolutely decides. He still loves it. Underneath this goddamn depression that’s hanging over him like a black cloud, he knows he still loves being a lawyer and walking into the family-owned law firm that had offered him a coveted internship.

It’s just hidden away like everything else is these days.

Magnus has been gone all day, since sun-up even. He’s gathering research for his Ph.D and his schedule is fit to bursting lately. The truth is, Alec’s glad for it.

They’ve been going out three years next month and Alec’s never told Magnus about this.

He thought it was behind him. His last flare up had been almost six months before he’d met Magnus and he didn’t want his boyfriend to think differently of him, in any case. Alec knows depression is nothing to be ashamed of, that millions of people struggle and that anyone who judges him differently is just an asshole.

He knows.

But it’s different when he’s worried about Magnus's reaction. He doesn’t want his boyfriend to worry that he’s too much trouble-- and yeah, he knows that it’s a little idiotic to worry about that now that it’s on the other foot but he can’t help it.

Today’s his day off and Alec’s wasted it. He’s still in bed, hasn’t even gotten out to eat anything or drink even a cup of coffee.

He’s existing and he decided hours ago that this would just damned well have to be enough for today. His thoughts are a jumble, there’s dark, menacing thoughts wrapped in radio static. He’s so tired and all he wants is to curl under the covers and ride out the day, this terrible waste of a sunny spring day.

He doesn’t count on the front door opening in the afternoon sunshine. Listlessly, he looks at the clock and sees that Magnus is home hours earlier than expected.

Alec thought he had more time.

Magnus comes into their bedroom whistling, smiling, and Alec feels jealousy claw at him at the way his boyfriend looks so free and light and comfortable in his own goddamn skin.

That leaves, though, as Magnus sees Alec and he braces himself for the usual questions.

No, he’s not sick.

No, he’s not hurt.

No, nothing’s happened.

There’s no reason that Alec should feel like this, like he’s choking on air and wrong and dull.

So dreadfully dull.

Magnus sits down on the bed. He studies Alec even as he reaches a hand out and runs it through his hair, no doubt looking wretched.

Alec watches as Magnus puts the pieces together. He sees the awareness that flares in those brown eyes he loves so much and closes his own to avoid the unavoidable.

However to his surprise, Magnus doesn’t stop his ministrations. He keeps playing with Alec’s hair and it lights something in Alec. That’s the first contact, the first thing, that’s felt real in days.

It warms him, just a little. It makes the ice around his rib cage start to thaw.

Magnus crawls into bed and pulls Alec to him. They don’t talk right away and the shadows cast along the walls of their bedroom are deep when Alec starts to talk.

It comes out halting, hesitant. Fits and starts and pauses that betray Alec’s frustration and anxiety.

Magnus soothes him though. Alec isn’t immediately better, he’s not magically cured. A few hours cuddling and talking through shit aren’t much in the wake of what Alec’s been dealing with for over a decade.

It’s something, though. It’s a start.

Thursdays are neither here nor there.

Magnus walks along the the busy New York sidewalk, his hand in Alec’s. They have a date planned for tonight, though Alec’s been infuriatingly tight-lipped about their destination.

His boyfriend does so love to be cryptic.

Magnus follows, content, and bumps into his boyfriend’s shoulder a time or four accidentally.

Alec’s so entertaining when he’s pretending to be unaffected.

Magnus has no idea where they are and he doesn’t care. It’s a Thursday and for all he knows, Simon had recommended a new burger joint that Alec wanted to try out. As long as Magnus is with Alec, it doesn’t matter where they are.

He has to admit that he winces to himself, just a little, at that painfully, cloyingly sentimental drivel.

Still, he loves Alec and he can be as sappy as he wants in his own mind.

Magnus people watches as they walk towards their destination. It’s slow to hit him but he finally realizes that the demographic’s changed. Instead of the streets being filled with men in suits and women in heels, there are backpacks and skateboards and converse.

That’s when he realizes that they’re walking along the edge of NYU’s main campus.

He has to admit, he’s intrigued. Alec had graduated from the school two and a half years ago and Magnus was going to Columbia for his doctorate. Neither one had any reason to be in this part of the city.

Now that he studies their surroundings, Magnus sees that they’re coming up on a few of his favorite stores and restaurants. Still, he’s surprised when they round a corner and Alec pulls him into--

A coffee shop.

It looks the same, even if it has been a few years since Magnus desperately ordered his coffee with a side of pessimistic optimism, hopeful and terrified and what life could possibly have in store for him.

It’s early evening and it’s not crowded, not yet at least. The coffee shop seems to be in a dead time and Magnus is looking along the walls-- the local place always displayed the art program’s best-- when he turns his head to look at Alec.

It’s supposed to be a questioning look because why are they at a coffee shop when they’re supposed to have dinner plans?

The answer stares Magnus in the face and he can’t catch his breath for the wave of emotion that drowns him.

Alec is standing in front of him, holding a ring. It’s beautiful and unique and just what Magnus would have picked if given the option.

He bites his lip to keep his tears at bay, to keep the fervent yes from falling out of his mouth before Alec’s even had a chance to ask.

Alec goes into a rambling speech about beginnings and espresso and love and forever and at one point, Magnus forgets to care that, in a quirk of fate, he’d ran out of waterproof mascara this morning and had instead used the regular stuff.

He forgets to care that he’s not usually so emotional in public.

He forgets that there are people watching, glued to the unfolding scene.

All he cares about is the man before him, earnest but hopeful and the fucking love of Magnus’s life.

When Alec's speech ends-- a little abruptly, even Alec looking surprised that he’d run out of steam-- his fiance falls to one knee and raises the ring a little, as if trying to tempt Magnus into accepting.

Magnus scoffs to himself. As if there has ever been another answer to Alec’s question.

Pulling Alec up, Magnus nods and accepts and then Alec’s crying too as he slides the ring onto Magnus’s left hand.

The coffee shop explodes into applause but Magnus barely hears it over the roaring in his ears. Alec hauls him close by the lapel of his blazer and kisses him.

It tastes like just the beginning. It feels like the rest of his life.

It starts on a Saturday.

Alec stands at the altar and looks across at Magnus.

They share a look and Alec sees his own wonder and surprise and happiness reflected in his fiance’s eyes.

The minister drones on about love and honor and commitment but it’s like a buzzing in his ears. Alec can’t focus on anything but the way eyeliner perfectly frames Magnus’s eyes or the way his hand fits in Alec’s like it was made to be there.

There’s nothing else but Magnus until there’s not.

Interrupted, Alec checks in to see Magnus looking at him expectantly with a raised brow. Jace elbows him in the back and hisses something about repeating the vows. Everyone laughs good-naturedly, indulgent, and Alec takes it with good grace.

He repeats his vows, taking his time with each line, weighing every word. He wants to remember this part. He wants to make sure that each word that he’s promising Magnus is suitably heavy, that his vow is made and accepted with all the feeling that’s locked in his chest.

From Magnus’s smile, Alec knows that his point has come across.

Magnus repeats the vows and while his voice is light with an undercurrent of teasing, Alec reads the gravitas in his eyes and feels the words sear onto his heart with the most steadfast iron.

There’s a moment between the vows and the kiss where they still as if by some magical design in the universe. It seems like everyone holds their breath, waiting for the kiss, but Magnus and Alec only have eyes for each other.

Alec loses himself in those brown eyes and dizzily thinks that this is the rest of this life, this is his forever.

He couldn’t be happier.

They move towards each other and whisper I love you for just the two of them to hear and then they’re kissing and it’s sharp but soft and so overwhelming that Alec doesn’t think he’ll ever come above water again.

It’s yet another chapter in the life he’s built with Magnus.

It’s the beginning of their forever and Alec wonders if he’ll always think that. Will he wake up every day and think this is the beginning all over again.

He’s had a thousands beginnings with Magnus and every one feels better than the last.

As Alec pulls back and sees Magnus’s grinning face, the way tears have dampened the corner of his eye, he settles. It’s familiar but it’s new and that’s a feeling that he’ll always associate with his husband. That unbridled potential, the comfort of knowing.

It’s a start.

#my writing #une semaine #i kinda tried a different style? a little more informal and chill? idk #malec fic

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rae-gar-targaryen · 2 years ago

Text

Anna, Anna, amazing, lovely Anna --

Can I just tell you what this fic means to me? Like, to see Mickey and Caro develop -- to know where we’re going but to see where we’ve been? With a character I love as much as Mickey and someone I’m loving getting to know as much as Caro? It maens the world. Your process, your effort, your sincere selection of the words you choose, the flow, the vibes, everything -- there is SO MUCH BEAUTY and love stitched into your story.

I get a litlte misty-eyed to think about it. And how much you love it. And how much I love it. And how much I love to be involved in to the extent you ever want me to. Because to see this chapter develop was truly somethign special. And to see where we ended up felt like something earned. I hope you’re proud. And I can’t wait for you to write the parts you’re most excited about. You deserve to be in love with your own story. And when you write as brilliantly as you do, well, you should feel every inch of that accomplishment.

Now on to my fav parts: (which I’m putting under a readmore)

PAYBACK -- Payback comforting Mickey and being sympathetic. Payback and Fanboy have my heart. I’d watch an entire movie of JUST them.

PENNY - I know it’s not “canonical” to have her in this timeline but WHO CARES? She really is the anchor (hah) of the Hard Deck as a setting, and you write her SO well I can’t imagine a TGM fic without her.

He’d worked it out in the spare moments between the drills and lectures and debriefings that filled most of his time in Fightertown. He’d reviewed all of the details from their too short encounter on Friday: from the look of wonder on her face while scrolling through the song catalog, to the subtle upturn of her lips when she spoke about her friends, to the glint her eye as she set up their agreement before slipping into her Uber. He’d turned over her statement that she didn’t talk to naval aviators and her friends’ confirmation of her stance. He’d considered every possible scenario of how this week could turn out and all with the same precision he brought to analyzing a mission.

I love this. I love that Fanboy, who would have to be very precise and technical in his role, gets to be precise and technical and tactical here. I love to see CONFIDENT Mickey.

The attention turned from Caro to him, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. Instead, his eyes were locked with Caro’s, and he watched as her shoulders lowered half an inch at the sight of him.

“Mickey,” she breathed.

“You came,” he said.

“I came,” she nodded.

I know Caro THINKS she isn’t smitten, but she is DEFINITELY getting there. And I LOVE watching it happen.

Mickey having to focus on anything and EVERYTHING else while he carries her out is truly an underrated gem in this chapter. Like, we get glimpses of our sweet, sunshiney, nerdboy and I just LOVE it. I love him.

The Beetlejuice jokes!!!!!! It’s moments like this that make me feel like I see bits of myself in Caro, and feel connected to her, because this whole Beetlejuice bit is one hundred percent something I’d say.

“Will you at least hold my hand?” Fanboy asked, extending an open palm to her, ready for her to entwine her fingers with his.

“We’re not holding hands,” she said, a smile quirking her lips. She gave his hand a small high-five as she brushed past him, starting towards the path to the beach.

Fanboy stared after her, frozen in place for a moment as he watched her go, a blend of cool moonlight and warm patio lights illuminating her figure against the darkness

I LOVE this bit SO much. He’s trying at every turn, and she is veryyyy slowly warming up to him. But you know how much I adore casual intimacy -- the offer to hold hands, that when she walks by he’s just rendered speechless by her? Their whole walk on the beach played out like a movie in my head. You should be SO PROUD of thsi scene.

He could have kissed her then.

He could picture it so clearly in his head, reaching out to tug on her hand so she turned back into him, only so he could tilt her head back and press his lips to hers. They would move together in the same gentle rhythm of the waves washing over the shore, and it would be perfect.

He could have kissed her, and he would have, if he wasn’t dead certain that if he did he’d probably lose her. And she’d probably slap the shit out of him before she went.

GOD. IM JUST SPEECHLESS.

Mickey ranting about Star Trek adn what it means to him, how he got his callsign is just SO endearing and SO Mickey -- and for her to roast him for it is SO Caro.

“After one night? I think it’d take at least a month to get you out of my system,” Fanboy nodded. “Maybe two, depending on how good it was.”

She laughed then, and he grinned, thankful for the sound.

If Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia said those words to me, I’d be half out of my clothes already. For as many nights in a month, for as many months as he says.

Caro started to say something, but he cut her off half-singing, “She said it’s not about your body / It’s just social implications are brought upon by this party that we’re sitting in.”

She blinked several times before finally quipping, “And here I was thinking you were about to call me intelligent or compliment my style.” As she said this, she fished into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled napkin with purple writing on it and passing it to him.

This is just pure poetry. And the perfect way to end the chapter. WHAT A GOOD CHOICE, ANNA. I love it.

All in all, it will take me about 3-5 business years to recover. Thank you for your contributions to my serotonin. I love you ENDLESSLY, and that’s that.

Tailspin - Part 3 (Fanboy Garcia x F!OC)

SUMMARY ››››› Having grown up just across the bridge from North Island, Carolina Alvarez has been told her whole life to stay away from the Top Gun boys. And for the most part, she has. That is, until Fanboy catches her putting quarters in the jukebox at The Hard Deck and initiates a game of cat and mouse that ends with her exactly where she swore she’d never be.

PAIRING ››››› Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia x F!OC

WORD COUNT ››››› 5,474

WARNINGS ››››› None

A/N ››››› Wow this took forever to figure out. But here it is! Also, yes, this takes place two years before Penny buys the Hard Deck, but in my head, she works there before she buys it from the previous owner.

It was entirely possible that the whole Top Gun class would be banned from The Hard Deck by the end of the week.

Or murdered, if the look on Penny's face was any indication.

The bartender stormed out from her station behind the bar, crossing the room in long, purposeful strides. She looked every bit like an Admiral herself, ready to ream out a young officer for a fly-by.

A hand came down on Fanboy's shoulder, diverting the WSO's attention from Penny's warpath and onto his friend who offered a smile that somehow managed to be equal parts amusement and sympathy. "Good luck," Payback said, his eyes flicking from Fanboy's face back to Penny.

The woman stooped down, yanking out the jukebox's cord and cutting off Van Morrison mid-lyric. The resulting quiet was short lived as the bar filled with cheers and applause from the other patrons.

"The next idiot to play that song is getting thrown overboard," Penny announced, prompting the applause to swell once more in agreement with the order.

Payback raised his eyebrows before turning back to Fanboy. "You're gonna need it."

Fanboy nodded in agreement. He was definitely going to get banned if she didn't show up by tomorrow.

The pilot patted the backseater's shoulder before heading off towards the doors to rejoin the rest of the aviators headed back to base, leaving Fanboy alone at the Hard Deck once more.

As much as he wished Columbus or Payback had stuck around a bit longer, he wasn't exactly sorry to see the rest of the class go. Three straight nights of Ripley and Beaker ripping into him for "pining over that jukebox girl" was enough to have him at the edge of his patience. He was just as relieved as everyone else to hear Blondie singing when the jukebox whirred back to life.

"So you're aware, that rule goes for tomorrow night too."

Fanboy whipped around to face Penny, finding her standing just behind him with a finger pointed threateningly at him. "And if I do have to hear "Brown-Eyed Girl" again, you're buying everyone a round."

"Fair enough," Fanboy conceded, offering a good-natured smile.

"Good," Penny said, lowering her finger. She didn't move though. Instead, she fixed him with a stern look, as if that would help the warning to sink in and take hold. It reminded him a lot of the look his mother had when she'd catch him reading his comic books after bedtime, coupled with a threat to take them away..

Penny's stare didn't stay as long, the bartender finally relenting with a jerk of her head towards the bar. Fanboy slipped from his seat at the high top, gathering up his friend's abandoned beer bottles before following Penny toward the bar.

"You know," he started, placing the bottles down in front of what had become his usual spot over the past three nights. "I'll even help throw them overboard."

"You'd better," Penny huffed, tossing the bottles a couple at a time into the recycling where they crashed with the others already there. "It's your fault I'm losing my mind."

"If I could control Beaker, I'd be a Captain by now," Fanboy reasoned, smiling appealingly at Penny. The bartender shook her head, throwing the last of the bottles into the bin before heading over to the fridge.

"You know damn well, they only play that song because you keep responding to it," she rebutted, pulling out a new beer for him.

He acknowledged the truth of this with a sheepish smile and tilt of his head. She was right that they only did it to get a reaction out of him, but he couldn't help it. Every time the beginning guitar riff started, his heart stuttered with the possibility that it could be her. None of the other aviators, or even Penny, had experienced the warmth of her smile directed solely at them as some oldies song played in the background like a moment straight out of a movie. If they had, maybe they wouldn't be on him as much as they were.

"It's only Tuesday," Fanboy shrugged as Penny set the beer down in front of him. "I'll start to give up hope on Friday."

"God willing she shows up before then," Penny muttered as she removed the bottle cap, water vapor curling up and out of the neck as the piece of metal clinked down onto the bar.

"She will." The words were out before Penny could even pick up the cap from the bar. She paused, looking up at him with a single skeptical eyebrow raised.

"She will?" Penny repeated, not even bothering to keep the doubt contained to her face. It sept through every syllable, prompting Fanboy to widen his smile as he nodded. He opted not to admit that if she didn't come by Thursday, she probably wasn't coming at all.

He'd worked it out in the spare moments between the drills and lectures and debriefings that filled most of his time in Fightertown. He'd reviewed all of the details from their too short encounter on Friday: from the look of wonder on her face while scrolling through the song catalog, to the subtle upturn of her lips when she spoke about her friends, to the glint her eye as she set up their agreement before slipping into her Uber. He'd turned over her statement that she didn't talk to naval aviators and her friends' confirmation of her stance. He'd considered every possible scenario of how this week could turn out and all with the same precision he brought to analyzing a mission.

"She'll show up," he affirmed. "And some of the pilots are going to lose a lot of money when she does."

The skepticism faded from Penny's face, replaced with a resigned disappointment. "Really? It's a bet?"

Fanboy shrugged. "They bet on everything," he remarked. "I just hope I get to watch when Payback collects his winnings."

This seemed to mollify Penny as she simply shook her head with a slight smile before catching sight of a customer attempting to flag her down from the other side of the bar. "I hope you're right," she said to Fanboy, patting the bartop in front of him before heading over to help the other customer. Fanboy grinned to himself, taking a sip of his beer as his eyes drifted to the closed front doors.

They remained closed, for the most part.

Over the next few hours, the only time the front doors opened was to usher patrons back into the outside world, the already light Tuesday night crowd growing thinner and thinner as last call ticked closer. It was looking increasingly likely that Fanboy would be helping Penny close down the Hard Deck again tonight. A prospect which Penny did not seem ready to resign herself to.

"I don't suppose you have a picture?" she asked, stopping in front of Fanboy with her hands on her hips.

"A picture?" he repeated back, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Of the girl," Penny clarified. "So I can give you a call if she comes in."

Fanboy raised his eyebrows at the bartender, a grin forming on his face. "Trying to get rid of me?"

Penny offered a half-smile as she leaned down on her elbows. "You're too young to be spending your nights here waiting on some girl you hardly know and who may not even show up," she said a little too kindly. "Go downtown. Find someone who actually wants to give you her number. I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there looking for someone just like you."

There were.

Over the past few days, he'd waved off more than a few girls and their offers of drinks or feigned interest in his work as a WSO. His dismissals had sparked criticism from the other pilots and almost indignation from Ripley.

"Top Gun is made for flings," his front-seater scolded. "It's thirteen weeks where you can get your dick wet before heading back to the carrier and your left hand. Stop wasting it on some girl."

The others had agreed with Ripley, Beaker chiming in with his support saying, "Dude, you have got to start seeing what's in front of you."

But if Fanboy only focused on what was and didn't consider what could be, his frontseater would probably be dead instead of here at Top Gun, leading the charge in making Fanboy's life hell.

Only Payback had had Fanboy's back, pointing out how odd it was that Ripley was so focused on Fanboy getting laid instead of finding someone himself.

Fanboy had a feeling that saying the same thing to Penny would get him banned sooner rather than later. Instead, he offered her a shrug. "There are, but I want to see about this one first."

Her half-smile bloomed into a full one even as she shook her head at him. "You're a good one, Fanboy."

"Th-" The word died on his lips as the all-too familiar guitar line picked up, raising a chorus of accompanying groans.

"Jesus Christ," Penny swore, pushing herself away from the bar and towards the bell, giving the rope five sharp tugs. The grumbling amongst the patrons shifted, changing into cheers.

Fanboy spun in his seat to see who had come back to harass him, and his heart jumped in his chest.

Caro.

He couldn't believe he'd missed her entrance. She stood out like a beacon with her bright red top and jeans compared to the working uniforms of the men who slowly made their way to where she stood.

Fanboy turned to Penny, finding the bartender stood with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face. "That's her, isn't it?" she asked.

He nodded.

Penny smirked. "If I were you, I'd hurry over then."

"She didn't know..." he started to appeal, but she stopped him with a shake of her head, her smirk widening.

"Rules are rules."

Fanboy hung his head, but he couldn't stop his own smile from his face. She was here. She came. Before Friday. "Ring me out?" He asked, looking back up at Penny.

She nodded, turning to the POS system as Fanboy left his seat and his beer, making his way over to Caro. She seemed to have taken notice of the officers hovering around her and based on the look on her face was growing increasingly apprehensive.

"I got this one," Fanboy said, arriving at the jukebox.

The attention turned from Caro to him, but he couldn't find it in him to care. Instead, his eyes were locked with Caro's, and he watched as her shoulders lowered half an inch at the sight of him.

"Mickey," she breathed.

"You came," he said.

"I came," she nodded.

The other patrons around seemed to catch on to the shift in the atmosphere, nodding at him before moving back to their seats. Caro watched them leave, confusion tugging down her lips into a frown before she turned back to Fanboy.

"What was that about?"

He gestured towards the jukebox. "There may or may not be a ban on that song."

Her eyes narrowed immediately. "Since Friday?"

He nodded. "I'll explain outside."

"Outside?" Caro repeated, disbelieving. "Why?"

His grin turned sheepish. In all of the scenarios he considered, kicking Caro out of the Hard Deck hadn't even crossed his mind. And he'd entertained one course of action that led to them driving down to a Vegas chapel. "You're being thrown overboard."

"I'm what?" Caro blanched.

This was not going to go over well.

"Going overboard," he said. "Penny's kicking you out."

"Because I played a banned song?" Caro asked, looking around the room. From behind the bar, Penny offered a wave goodbye and a sympathetic smile.

Caro paused and despite her impassive face, he could see thoughts racing through her head. He'd be lucky if she didn't just get in her car and leave.

"I promise, I'll explain," he pressed. "And it's going to give you some excellent material to make fun of me with."

"It better," Caro said, shaking her head as she started walking towards the door.

"Rules are rules," Penny called out, and Fanboy stopped Caro with a light hand on her arm.

"What, has the Navy banned walking too?" Caro asked, sounding completely exasperated.

He grimaced. "Part of going overboard is that you have to be thrown overboard."

"You're kidding," she said flatly.

He shook his head.

Caro stared at him blankly, time stretching on as she waited for him to break under her stare. When he didn't, she sighed, stepping forward.

"Don't drop me," she ordered, stepping into his waiting arms and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He scooped her up easily, reveling in the small gasp that escaped her.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he assured her, looking down into Caro's face.

She broke eye contact first, readjusting her hands clasped around his neck, and a small thrill shot through Fanboy at the reaction.

He started out of the Hard Deck, passing by a smiling Penny on his way towards the front door.

It was difficult to keep his mind focused on figuring out how he could explain this to her in a way that didn't send her racing for her car. Instead, his mind kept slipping to how soft she was and how perfectly she fit in his arms. He had to focus on keeping his hands in the right places and not how she smelled like vanilla or how if he looked down at the right angle he could probably see–

Boot camp.

Punching out of a plane.

Watching Spock—

"Mickey!" Caro exclaimed, holding out a hand to push open the door he had almost run them into. He muttered an apology as she kept it open with the tips of her fingers so it didn't swing back in his face.

He stopped just outside of the door, leaning down to deposit her on her feet.

Caro found her footing again with a hand on his shoulder, using it for support as she straightened up. "So," she started, turning to face him with arms folded across her chest. "What did you do to get that song banned in four days?"

"You might be impressed to know that it only took three days of excessive playing for the song to get banned," Fanboy answered. "I wasn't here on Saturday."

"Oh," Caro said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I'm very impressed."

"Thought you might be," Fanboy grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Caro shook her head, something like a smile ghosting across her lips before fading. "Did you think if you played it enough I'd just appear like Beetlejuice?"

"Didn't you?" he asked. Caro opened and shut her mouth again before he decided to save her. "No, uh, my friends played it a lot to mess with me for waiting here all night. Every night."

Caro looked surprised. "Every night?" She repeated.

He nodded, offering another shrug. "Didn't want to miss you."

"That's…" she trailed off, and his stomach tightened, hoping for her to end the sentence with "romantic" or "clever" or even "cheating." Instead, she decided on "Pretty desperate." But her eyes crinkled at the edges, and rather than it coming out as an accusation, there was a fondness to her voice.

Fanboy tipped his head in her direction as an acceptance of the charge. "According to my friends, it's incredibly desperate."

This was what earned him a laugh from Caro, the sound bubbling out of her and causing a warm feeling to blossom in his chest.

"It worked, though," he asserted. "I mean, if it wasn't the Beetlejuice thing."

Caro shook her head at him, the smile still remaining on her face. "Well, it's good to know you're not the type of guy to be hanging out at a bar on a Tuesday night an hour from close."

Fanboy whistled at her, shaking his head. "That's pretty judgmental coming from the girl who just got thrown out of a bar on a Tuesday night an hour from close."

Caro's mouth hung open for a second before she pushed at his chest. "That was entirely your fault."

Fanboy laughed, holding a hand over the part of his chest that she'd shoved. "If you'd just come on Sunday we'd both be inside, and you'd be having your one drink."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "Well, since I can't get my drink, I think I might as well go home."

"Or," he started, taking a step towards her, a part of him relaxing when she didn't step backwards to reassert the space. "We could go somewhere else to get a drink."

She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure this is a sign I should stay out of bars tonight. When I get in my car, I'm going home."

"Then don't get in your car."

It came out faster than he intended, slipping from his lips easily and without much thought. All he knew was that he couldn't let her slip through his fingers.

Caro raised her eyebrow and opened her mouth, probably to remind him that she wasn't about to get into the car with a strange man desperate enough for a chance with her that he spent the last three nights waiting alone at a bar for on the off chance she'd show up. Before she could tell him any of this, he spoke again. "Take a walk on the beach with me."

She raised her eyebrows. "That wasn't the deal."

"No," he agreed. "But it's nice out, and you're already here."

Her eyes moved from his face to the beach. "You're not going to get me kicked off the beach are you?"

He grinned and shook his head. "No."

She nodded twice, thoughtfully. "Alright," she agreed. "A short walk."

"Do I get to decide what counts as short?"

"No," she snorted. .

"Will you at least hold my hand?" Fanboy asked, extending an open palm to her, ready for her to entwine her fingers with his.

"We're not holding hands," she said, a smile quirking her lips. She gave his hand a small high-five as she brushed past him, starting towards the path to the beach.

Fanboy stared after her, frozen in place for a moment as he watched her go, a blend of cool moonlight and warm patio lights illuminating her figure against the darkness. She seemed to sense his eyes on her, and maybe just that he wasn't following, because she paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Change your mind?" She asked, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

The question spurred him into action, and he started after her, pulling at his boots' laces as he went and then hopping as he tugged off his shoes and socks, desperate to be by her side as quickly as possible. She waited for him, watching the spectacle but saying nothing, even when he rejoined her.

The pair walked down to the water's edge in companionable silence, the night air cool on their skin. The beach was largely empty, only a few couples dotting the sand here and there. Fanboy was careful not to pay too close attention to what they were doing, instead keeping his eyes on the girl beside him. The girl he wasn't sure would come despite what he said to the rest of the Top Gun candidates and Penny.

"I'm glad you came," Mickey said, his voice coming out softer than he was entirely proud of. She didn't seem to mind, offering him a gentle smile and shrug, her dark hair falling off her shoulders and down her back.

"We shook on it."

He could have kissed her then.

He could have kissed her, and he would have, if he wasn't dead certain that if he did he'd probably lose her. And she'd probably slap the shit out of him before she went.

She seemed to notice the awe on his face and misinterpret it as something else. "I'm a bit offended you think I'm the kind of person who doesn't follow through with her agreements."

"No," Fanboy said, shaking his head quickly, breaking eye contact with her to look back ahead. "I just thought you were the kind of person who doesn't talk to naval aviators."

She hesitated for the briefest of seconds before dismissing the remark with a shrug. "I'm not. I just really didn't think you'd be waiting here every night. What did you even do?"

He shrugged. "My friends were here part of the time. The rest I mostly spent talking to Penny."

"The bartender," Caro remembered, and he nodded. "About what?"

"Yours and mine's deal, what it's like for her working at the bar, Star Trek," he said, shrugging.

"Star Trek?" Caro repeated with a laugh.

He nodded. "I've been a fan since I was little. It's why I wanted to fly," he explained. "And join the Navy."

"I didn't think Star Trek was about the Navy," Caro said, eyes focused down the beach.

"It's not," he shook his head. "The characters are part of Starfleet which is kind of like the UN's peacekeeping forces meets space Navy but for exploration and diplomacy."

"Two things that militaries have historically handled extremely well," Caro snarked.

"That's the thing," Fanboy pressed. "The show shows what could be. It teaches us why we need to value diversity and—stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Caro asked, before pressing her lips tightly back together.

"Like you're trying not to laugh at me," he said, bumping her shoulder with his.

"I just didn't think you'd be such a nerd," Caro defended, bumping his shoulder back.

"You say nerd. I say fan," Fanboy protested. He couldn't help but notice that the distance between them had closed some, the space small enough for him to reach out a finger and hook it with hers. He resisted the temptation.

"Anyway, it's how I got my callsign: Fanboy."

Caro burst out laughing, and Fanboy raised his eyebrows at her. "What?!" he asked in mock defense, a smile taking over his face.

"I can't decide if Fanboy or Mickey is worse."

He laughed then, and Caro grinned back at him.

"Alright then, tell me something I can make fun of you for," he charged.

She shook her head at him and shrugged. "Unfortunately for you, I don't really have anything you can make fun of me for."

"Nothing," he said, disbelieving.

"Nope," she answered, popping the p.

"Are you a good dancer?"

She looked up at him with a smile. "I'm a really good dancer."

"Do you have a boring job?"

"I don't have a job," she shrugged. "I just graduated USD and my cert program doesn't start until September."

"Your cert program?" he repeated, and she nodded.

"I'm going to school to become a chiropractor."

"So you're a future doctor who's a really good dancer and also extremely beautiful."

"Yeah," she nodded, beaming up at him.

The urge to kiss her rose up in him again, but he pushed it back down, instead reaching out to loosely tangle his fingers with hers before pulling his hand back to his side.

"Well, what made you want to be a chiropractor?

"Have you ever seen the TV show Bones?"

"You're really funny."

Caro shrugged. "I know."

The two continued along the beach for a moment more in silence before Caro spoke again. "I just think the spine's really interesting–how it coordinates so much of what happens in the body. I just think it's underrated. Like people know it's important, but so few people actually care for it until suddenly they have back problems or get in a car accident."

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

Instead, she offered him a sheepish smile "I totally just have you something to make fun of me with, didn't I?"

"No," he shook his head. "It's a good point."

"Really?" Caro raised an eyebrow. "Because I think I just said that the spine was underrated."

He cracked a smile and shrugged. "Maybe I just think you're right."

The conversation wound from there, Fanboy sharing some of his other interests much to Caro's delight and teasing. Caro continued to amaze him, with her wit and insight and stories of musical festivals and time as a yoga instructor.

It almost felt like no time had passed by the time he finally looked at his phone and realized he had to wake up in five hours.

"So," Fanboy started, prompting a smile from Caro. He wouldn't be surprised if she already knew the question he was about to ask. "This rule about not dating naval aviators…how firm is it?"

"Pretty firm," Caro affirmed, nodding her head.

"Bad experience?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I just live too close to base for there to be any mystique. I've seen this story play out too many times."

"You've seen our story play out?" He asked, brows raised in amusement. "You should have mentioned you were psychic."

Caro stared at him, unimpressed, but he pressed on. "How does it go?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes with a shrug. "You go through Top Gun and split your scraps of free time between me and your friends, but somehow I still end up too attached. After your program's up, you go back to wherever it was you're from or maybe off on some assignment, and I'm left behind. If we're really stupid, we kid ourselves that we can do long distance, but that crashes and burns within a couple of months and ends with at least one person getting hurt."

She went silent after that, her face somber as the moment stretched out before she broke free of her thoughts and shrugged again. "The only way it works is casual and short and that's not for me."

"Definitely not," he agreed.

She shot him a quizzical look. "I can't tell if you're making fun of me or trying to agree with whatever I say so I break the rule."

He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "No, I just meant--you don't seem like the type to love 'em and leave 'em, and I can't see anyone spending five minutes with you and thinking they could shake you off as just a one night stand."

Whatever stormcloud had hovered over Caro while sharing the reasoning behind her rule seemed to dissipate, and instead she seemed amused by his analysis. "What about you?" Caro asked.

"After one night? I think it'd take at least a month to get you out of my system," Fanboy nodded. "Maybe two, depending on how good it was."

She laughed then, and he grinned, thankful for the sound.

"No, I meant, can you do casual and short? One night stands?"

He shrugged. "Not usually."

"Ohhh," Caro said, taking a step back to make a show of looking him up and down. "So you're the 'I don't usually do things like this' guy?" She laughed as accused him, and he couldn't help but laugh too, shaking his head and looking down at his feet.

"You are!" she exclaimed, coming closer once more to walk beside him.

"In my defense, it's true!" he defended.

"Mhmm," Caro hummed skeptically, bumping her shoulder against his. "Of course it is, Fanboy."

"It is," he insisted. "I'd much rather date you than just go back to your place."

He meant it, and he hoped that she could see it in his face. As much as he would enjoy a night in her bed, making her forget how ridiculous she found his names as she cried them out, it wouldn't be the same if he didn't get to wake up with her in his arms.

Caro flushed, looking off to the side and away from him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Alright, well, you've still got your question and your guess for my number."

"So I have a chance?" Fanboy asked, tapping at the back of her hand with a finger.

"At getting my number," Caro responded, moving her hand away and offering him a coy look instead..

He bit his lip and nodded. "Ok. Fair enough."

The pair stopped at the bottom of the path up to the Hard Deck's parking lot, Fanboy narrowing his eyes in mock-assessment as he looked over Caro. He had thought about this moment too over the past few days, contemplating what question he would ask to confirm his guess. It had only taken a few hours and seven scratched out options in the margins of his notepad.

"Do you relate to the lyrics?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stood in thought, and he wondered if the lyrics were running through her head right now in the same way that they filled his. He wondered if she was matching the same snippets of verses to herself that he had when pairing them up with memories and the facts she revealed about herself on their walk.

Finally a small smile turned up the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah," she said, and then nodded to herself. "I do."

Fanboy nodded too, waiting a beat and fighting the smile rising to the surface.

"You have a guess?" Caro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have the answer," he corrected and her eyebrows shot up as she ooohed at him playfully. "It's 'She Way Out' from The 1975."

Her jaw dropped.

But instead of the surprise or amusement that he had hoped for—or the throwing of herself into his arms that he had dreamed of—apprehension crossed her features.

"How did you—how did you know?"

All of the quips he's come up with about his strategy or cleverness or own psychic ability flew from him in the wake of her unease. Instead, he softened and admitted the truth: "I asked your friends after you left on Friday."

"They told you?!" she burst, indignantly.

"Sort of," he said, tilting his head back and forth. "One of them was going to, but then the other convinced her not to. She said I should at least put in some of the work."

"Sami," Caro breathed. He couldn't remember the girl's name, but Caro seemed so sure, he nodded.

"She gave me the band after I beat her in darts. And bought a couple of rounds."

Caro barked out a laugh at this.

"I looked them up, saw they only had one album and listened to it a few times. It's pretty good."

"It's incredible," Caro corrected. She continued to stare at him before shaking her head. "I can't believe you just listened to it and guessed."

"Well, I had the answers to my questions," Fanboy said. "But that one reminded me the most of you."

Caro started to say something, but he cut her off half-singing, "She said it's not about your body / It's just social implications are brought upon by this party that we're sitting in."

She blinked several times before finally quipping, "And here I was thinking you were about to call me intelligent or compliment my style." As she said this, she fished into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled napkin with purple writing on it and passing it to him.

She Way Out - The 1975

619 - 92 - 113

He looked up and grinned at her.

"I'm still not going to date you," she said, turning around and heading up to the gravel parking lot, Fanboy lightly jogging to catch up with her.

"Of course not."

"But since my friends are off starting their new lives and you're stuck here for a bit, maybe we can hang out."

"Sounds good," he nodded, walking with her over to her car. She pulled open the door, but before she could sit down, he leaned on top of the frame. "What are you doing Friday? Wanna hang out?"

"Text me," she said, offering a grin. "And we'll see."

#fic rec #author rec #amazing anna #fic rec for a THOUSAND YEARS #tailspin #this one's a masterpiece folks #mickey 'fanboy' garcia x oc #mickey 'fanboy' garcia x carolina alvarez

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moneyintrend · 3 years ago

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Making money with Apps - Earn from everywhere

Every week, we already spend hours on our phones. With its weekly screen usage stats, Apple has made us acutely aware of this. Why not make some money with those hours?

There are plenty of money-making applications available for both Apple and Android users these days. Taking surveys, playing games, watching movies, investing, and even buying are all ways to make money.

The 10 Most Profitable Apps

We've tried a lot of applications, so trust us when we say we've tried a lot of them. We weeded out the duds and put up a list of our top-rated money-making applications.

1. InboxDollars: Earn Money by Watching Videos

Most of us are familiar with InboxDollars, but did you realize it pays you to watch videos? There's a lot to watch on the site, including cuisine, entertainment, news, and wellness programs. InboxDollars will credit your account with a little amount of money each time you watch one.(Are you new to InboxDollars? Here's our beginner's guide.)

Pros: You earn cash with InboxDollars, so you don't have to worry about trading points. It also has more opportunities to make money, such as surveys, scratch-off games, and internet searches.

Cons: To pay out, you must earn $30, which is a bit expensive when compared to the other sites on our list. A $3 transaction fee will also be charged.

Payment is made via check, which is mailed to you. Get a $5 incentive just for joining up and watching your first video, according to a pro tip. Available for Android (4.3 stars) and iOS (4.3 stars) (rated 4.4 stars).

2. Lucktastic: Free Scratch-offs to Win Big

If you're sitting on the sofa looking through your phone, download the Lucktastic app to play free scratch-off tickets for a chance to win $1 to $10,000 instantly.

Pros: You may download and use Lucktastic for free. You have nothing to lose if you have some spare time.

Cons: According to user feedback, winning money is an uncommon occurrence. However, we spoke with a single father who had won $5,000.

Earn a minimum of $2 and then cash out for an immediate gift card. If you spend $10 or more, you can request a check in the mail. Keep a charger on hand to keep your phone charged. Available on Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.2 stars) (rated 3.2 stars).

3. Get Free Prepaid Visa and MasterCards with Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards, a free app, will convert your receipts into gift cards. It works with a variety of companies to reward you with points for each supermarket receipt you post. Then you may swap them for Visa and MasterCard prepaid cards.

To earn prepaid Visa or MasterCards, just download the app and establish an account, then upload photographs of your supermarket receipts.

Pros: There's no need to scan barcodes or look for deals; all you have to do is email Fetch a snapshot of your receipt, and it'll take care of the rest. It may also be used with any grocery receipt.

Cons: Cashing out requires a minimum of 3,000 points, however offers range from 250 to 3,000 points, so hitting the minimum should be simple. We've seen offers for 2,000 points with the purchase of a Suave female hair product and 2,000 points with the purchase of a Blue Moon 12-pack.

When you achieve your minimum, you may cash out for prepaid Visa and MasterCard cards or gift cards to participating shops.

Pro tip: Use Fetch as soon as possible following your shopping trips, as your receipts must be within the previous 14 days. Plus, when you download the app, enter the code PENNY to get 2,000 points instantly when you scan your first receipt – you'll be well on your way to your first gift card in no time. Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.3 stars) versions are both available (4.8 stars).

4. Ibotta: Make Money While Shopping

You may get cash back on a variety of transactions using the Ibotta app, including groceries, Uber trips, and Amazon purchases. Simply take a picture of your receipt or use the app to shop.

Pros: Ibotta is a fantastic method to save money on goods you currently buy, both in stores and online. You'll occasionally come across gratis offerings in the mix as well. We spoke with Nancy Frost, who received $432 in cash back over the course of a year.

Cons: Be wary of purchasing goods you don't actually need only to earn money back. It's alluring.

Payment method: Once you've reached $20, you may cash out by PayPal or Venmo, or choose a gift card to a major shop such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, or Walmart.

Pro tip: Get a $20 sign-up bonus by downloading Ibotta from The Penny Hoarder and redeeming your first 10 offers within 14 days. Available for Android (4.5 stars) and iOS (4.5 stars) (rated 4.7 stars).

5. Nielsen Consumer Panel: Earn Money for What You Keep in Your Fridge

Nielsen is a market research firm that you're undoubtedly acquainted with. It's always kept tabs on TV ratings, but now it wants a look inside your refrigerator. Scanning the barcodes on your shopping goods earns you points in the Nielsen Consumer Panel app.

Pros: Becoming a member of this market research panel is quite straightforward. Scanning the barcodes of things you've purchased is as simple as downloading the app and scanning the barcodes of the items you've purchased. To get points, share your data with Nielsen.

Cons: You won't get paid in cash or gift cards; instead, you'll get rewards.

Method of payment: Earn points that may be redeemed for items such as toys, gadgets, or household equipment.

If you don't want to use the app, you can request a portable scanner instead. Available for Android (with a 3.7-star rating) and iOS (with a 3.5-star rating) (rated 4.4 stars).

6. Acorns: Invest Your Change (and Receive a $5 Bonus)

Investing is a fantastic method to make money over time. If you're just getting started, the Acorns app is a good place to start. It allows you to invest tiny sums of money.

Pros: With Acorns, you can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want. Its round-up function rounds up each transaction and invests your digital change automatically. In less than two years, the software helped Jeremy Kolodziej amass more than $2,000 in investments.

Cons: Acorns charges $1 per month for accounts with less than $1 million in balance. It's a shame it's not free, but consider this: for the price of one month of Netflix, you can receive a year of investing.

Withdrawals are not subject to any limitations or fees. You may withdraw money as often as you like, but investing is preferable in the long run.

Pro tip: If you join up for Acorns through The Penny Hoarder, you'll receive a $5 bonus, effectively giving you five months of free service. Available on Android (4.4 stars) and iOS (4.4 stars) (rated 4.7 stars).

7. MyPoints: Tell Us What You Think

MyPoints is a website that connects consumers to market research survey opportunities. It has been in existence since 1996.

You may earn gift cards by completing polls and filling out surveys using MyPoints. You'll get a $5 prize after completing your first five surveys.

Pros: You get points even if you don't qualify for a survey. It's also a simple gateway with a variety of methods to gain points, such as participating in polls and viewing movies.

Cons: Because MyPoints links you to surveys on third-party consumer marketing sites, you'll frequently leave the site's portal. Users say they have a hard time qualifying for surveys. (I didn't qualify for any of the five tests I took recently.)

Gift cards to major shops such as Amazon, Old Navy, and Starbucks are accepted as payment. Tip: After qualifying for and completing your first five surveys, you'll receive a $5 bonus. Android version is available (rated 3.5 stars).

8. Rover: Earn Money Playing With Dogs

You may opt to provide a number of services on Rover, such as dog walking, overnight boarding at your or their house, and daycare. According to Rover, sitters may earn up to $450 per month.

Pros: Is there anything more enjoyable than spending time with dogs? However, take it seriously. Rover allows you to establish your own hours and pricing. Choose the services you'd want to offer as well.

Cons: To build a solid reputation on Rover, you may need to decrease your hourly prices at first until you break into your city's market and start receiving favorable reviews.

You establish your own rates as a payment option. (A little percentage is kept by Rover as a service charge.) Payment can be made straight to your bank account. The money may take up to 72 hours to transfer.

Pro tip: Because boarding is the most popular service on the app, offering it might help you land more bookings. Available on Android (4.2 stars) and iOS (4.2 stars) (rated 4.9 stars).

9. Foap: Make Money With Your iPhone Camera

Do you have a smartphone that takes decent photos? Foap is a website where you may sell your photographs. List your photographs in the app's marketplace, and if someone buys the photo's license, you'll get 50% of the sale. If it sells for $10, for example, you'll make $5 every time.

Pros: Today's phones have amazing cameras, making it easy to snap high-quality photographs. The effort is done after you capture the ideal image and post it to Foap. All you have to do now is wait for a sale.

Cons: You can't be sure your photographs will sell. Also, don't expect to make a lot of money; this is simply a fun side project.

Payment method: You'll get 50% of the sale and may pay out using PayPal. Add relevant tags to your photographs as a pro suggestion. It will assist users in finding your photographs, much like it does on Twitter or Instagram. Available for Android (with a 3.8-star rating) and iOS (with a 3.8-star rating) (rated 4.5 stars).

10. Sell Your Old Stuff on Letgo

Why keep old items that you haven't looked at in over a year? Try using an online marketplace like Letgo to sell them to others in your region. It takes a lot of the effort out of selling anything online, and it's completely free to use.

Pros: Letgo allows you to sell almost anything. In less than 30 seconds, you may snap a photo and upload your item using our simple software. Another significant benefit? Letgo doesn't take a cut of the sale, so anything you make is all yours.

Cons: There's no assurance that your products will sell. Your goods may sell like hotcakes in record time...or they may sit in your closet collecting dust for a long. However, many internet markets have this danger, so brace yourself and wait.

Payment method: Letgo is only an online marketplace where you may list your things for sale, not a place where you can complete the transaction. What are its recommendations? Meet in a public area and only transfer money once the buyer has seen the goods.

Take cash or utilize a secure payment option like PayPal as a backup plan. Don't accept a "certified check" - according to Letgo, this is a typical fraud. It's also not a good idea to ship things. Available for Android (4.5 stars) and iOS (4.5 stars) (rated 4.4 stars).

#making money #everywhere #money tips

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gonedeletedrpblog345-blog · 7 years ago

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“Explain, Visconti.”

“C’mon, now,” Ace doesn’t look away from the gentleman behind the bar, watching him fetch for the bottle of cognac that has been passed around and poured into the glass of many a patrons his evening. With the way the boy holds the bottle, it seems light - Ace wouldn’t be surprised if it’s near empty. A shame. “Picking fights in the middle of the night isn’t very nice of you, Harv.”

Harvey MacAllan leans in close, his cigar laden breath rolling over Ace’s neck like the billow of mist on a dreary spring day. Still, Ace doesn’t betray his posture - he keeps the grin of the night on his face when he tips a nod to the bartender, pulling his third glass of the rum and coke towards him. The boy looks, nervous, and shuffles to the other end of the bar. Smart kid. Can’t be much older than twenty three, but he knows when to dip from bad looking customers.

Ace takes a long sip. It tastes like a forgotten night on Bourbon Street. The decor might be less than divine, and the company even worse; but there’s more than enough words to go around with the way it burns his throat.

Harvey MacAllan doesn’t move.

“I’m done playing nice with you, Visconti,” Harvey MacAllan threatens again, this time pounding a fist on the wood of the bar. Oh, he means business now. “Three weeks you’ve been blowin’ off Jacob, and Pierce, and now me - you either gonna explain what your deal is, or there’s gonna be more than words.”

“More than words?” Ace looks at the way his glass glimmers in the light of Miami’s lesser bars. “Whatever else could there be to say that can’t be settled like gentlemen, Harv?”

“Call me that again and you’ll be pickin’ your teeth outta your shit.”

“You’re laying the threats on a little thick, you know. There won’t be much of me left if I’m to be chopped up to itty bitty Ace pieces.”

Ace finally looks at Harvey MacAllan - the man is quite tall, and the way he lumbers over Ace in the mosquito buzzed light makes him look worse than he smells. The cigars are strong, and so is the alcohol, but Ace can hear every steady syllable in his debt collector’s words, and that’s what makes it exciting.

What kind of gun did he get into the place with? If there was a couple less people to his left that might get hit with the wrong kind of collateral, Ace might test the threat a little more. Gamble the odds, up the ante.

“How about this,” Ace marks his words by gathering up the glass and pressing it to Harvey MacAllan’s burly chest, stuffed into a dress shirt that doesn’t want to be on his thick body. “You give me another week and a half-”

Harvey MacAllan puts his hand on Ace’s throat. There are five men around them, and there are five men who grab his would-be assailant and pull him back and off the smooth talking timebomb of a man. Ace’s smirk (a part of him that never leaves, just like rings, wallets and cards) flashes that broken canine.

“-and I leave you with what I’ve got tonight. Plus your Uber home. I assume Jacob’s pinching pennies on gas, right?” Ace pats Harvey MacAllan’s shoulder. “I don’t blame him, five dollars for a gallon? But, come on, it’s your best pal.”

The men settle Harvey MacAllan back against a bar stool. Ace has been creating space between them with every breath, stepping back like a snake in the limelight. The fury on Harvey MacAllan’s face is indescribable. Luckily for Ace, he gets that a lot.

Ace slides his wallet down the length of the bar.

“Keep it. Just a spare of mine.”

He turns, and with the last of his bills, drops a handful of paper and coin in from of the nervous bartender with - everyone’s guessed it - a smirk.

In about an hour, a young woman will realize she doesn’t have her wallet. In less than five minutes, Ace Visconti will be driving back to Orlando in the back of a taxi.

#headcanon | the truth is dubious at best.#writing | not much of a writer - more of a lover.

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chaos-weekly · 4 years ago

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team boat

They’d decided to head to Tony’s after parting ways with the girls, which wasn’t a decision Ezequiel was thrilled about. He had to be up early for work, and he’d have to be up even earlier if he stayed the night at Tony’s apartment, which was what would likely happen. That also meant that he wouldn’t be getting to sleep until late and would be tired the next day. Then Shiloh would call him a grumpy old man at family dinner tomorrow night and Tony would laugh, ignoring the fact that he was grumpy because of him. But Ezequiel couldn’t be mad at Tony, at least not tonight.

They’d made light conversation on the way back, Arjun carrying most of it. Ezequiel even tried to pitch in, a rare sight, but Tony wasn’t his usual self. Even now in the comfort of his own home, Tony sat in the comfy emerald green chair in the corner mindlessly strumming his guitar and barely touching the beer resting precariously on the arm.

“Enough with the sad boy tunes,” Arjun sighed, finally succumbing to the awkward silence. “You’re feeling sad and alone. We got it.”

“I’m not feeling sad and alone,” Tony scoffed, raising his head to look at Arjun. “This stuff happens all the time. I’m used to it.”

“Come on, T. You’re sitting in The Shiloh Chair.”

“I’m sorry, the what?” Tony stopped playing and put his guitar to the side.

“The Shiloh Chair. That’s where she always sits. E, back me up on this.” Ezequiel has been more than happy to be a fly on the wall in this conversation, but now he’d been roped in. If there was one kind of conversation he tried to avoid at all costs, it was any relating to his sister and his best friend.

“That is the chair my sister always sits in,” he sighed. “And it’s Ezequiel to you. Both of you.”

“Oh, so Penny Maine gets to call you E, but I’m stuck with your ridiculous full name? We’ll revisit that later,” Arjun scolded, relieving Ezequiel of having to explain further with embarrassment. “But back to what’s currently important: I have seen Shiloh forcibly remove people from that chair so she could sit in it. I have never seen her sit anywhere else in this apartment. Probably because it feels like a warm hug when you sit in it. And you sit in that chair whenever you’re upset for the same reason, that and it probably smells like her.” He winked and Ezequiel tried not to grimace. Tony’s cheeks were pink, and he was hoping it was from the beer, even if he’d hardly had any.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Arjun. It happens all the time and I knew it was going to happen tonight. It’s fine; I was prepared for it. I don’t get why you’re so mad about it. It was a stupid, petty thing, but it’s over now. So let’s just move on.” Tony was clearly done talking about this, and Ezequiel understood that entirely. Nights like tonight drudged up painful memories and feelings. He wouldn’t want to relive those either, and he most certainly wouldn’t want to talk about them with his friends.

“It’s not fine, Tony. You know that,” Arjun insisted.

“I’m not talking about it.”

“You can’t just bottle—.”

“He said he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Ezequiel cut in firmly, his arms folded across his chest. “Tony won’t bottle this up. He knows better. He’ll talk about his all when he’s ready to with someone he trusts. That’s not now, and not with us at the moment. So drop it.”

Arjun sighed and leaned back in his seat. He wouldn’t press the subject, at least for now. The boy downed the rest of his beer and stood up, smoothing his pants.

“I’m going to call an Uber. I’ve got work tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep. I’ll see you around. Thanks for the drink, Tony.”

The two waited until Arjun left before even looking at each other. Ezequiel liked Arjun just fine, but sometimes he was a lot to handle. And he’d escalated the situation tonight. Why he hadn’t used his powers to ease the tension, he’d never know. It would’ve made Tony feel more at ease if nothing else.

“So,” Tony said, breaking the silence. “E, huh?” There was a stupid smirk on his face, and he scowled in response.

“Shut up. I just didn’t know how to tell her not to call me that.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem telling Arjun off.”

“That’s different.”

“It sure is. She’s a woman. Do you know what those are or do I need to give you a quick little anatomy lesson? Did your parents ever teach you about the birds and the bees, E?” Tony wore a smug smile on his face.

Ezequiel gave him the finger and downed the rest of his beer.

“Go to h-ll, Tony,” he grumbled, easily folding the aluminum can into an origami boat. “Keep it up and this could be you.”

“Oh yeah? How are you planning on doing that, Mr. Metal Manipulator?”

“I’m sure you know this, Mr. Medical Student, but the human body has a lot of naturally occurring metals in it’s system. I’ve never tried it before, but you could be my first test subject.” Ezequiel cracked his fingers and neck. The smirk had faded from Tony’s lips and he held up his hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay. You got me. Please spare me. Or at least turn me into something cooler, like a paper airplane.”

“An airplane?” Ezequiel scoffed. “You think a stupid little plane is cooler than this boat? These folds are complex, Tony, and the thing floats.”

“But what about functionality. The plane is all-terrain. That boat is just for water.”

“If you want to talk functionality, the boat can also be a hat.” To demonstrate, Ezequiel placed his origami creation on his head.

The two argued about paper boats and planes, then about something else, then about something else. It was playful banter, and they were both experts at it with each other and terrible at it with women. But it wasn’t the arguing that Ezequiel especially excelled at. It was taking Tony’s mind off things, bringing him back down to earth, and reminding him that he could be at home here.

Tony was his brother, and that’s what brothers did.

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traveljunctionus21 · 4 years ago

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How to Travel on a Budget in the USA

So, because the world starts to ever slowly reopen, i would like to share 10 tips and tricks on the way to travel on a budget this year!

Change Your Mindset

Changing your mindset won’t be a standard budget tip, but it’s important nonetheless. Constantly remind yourself that travel is feasible while taking concrete steps to form it a reality. Action begets action — albeit it’s just baby steps.

Start with a “yes, I can” mindset. Don’t think “I can’t travel” — think “What’s one thing I can do today to form my trip closer to reality?”

Life may be a mental game. Do one thing a day that gets you closer to your trip and you’ll end up building unstoppable momentum.

Come Up with a Savings Plans

Unless you’re Gates, we all got to save extra money. But how does one do that? While life is dear, I do believe there are always ways to save lots of a touch more. There’s always something you’ll cut. a touch little bit of savings adds up tons over time. Get Unbeatable deals on Flight booking on Click2book and Traveljunction

Get into the habit of putting money into your travel fund regularly — albeit it’s just a couple of dollars every week. Every little penny will help. The more you save, the more you would like to save lots of. It kind of becomes a game. It’s not a chore.

Score a Flight Deal

One of the items that folks always tell me holds them back from traveling more is that the cost of flights. But, let me tell you, there’s tons of deals immediately .

All the airlines try to fill planes and are offering tons of deals for summer and fall travel immediately. After all, they have to form up for a lost year and are wanting to get people on planes.

The key to finding an inexpensive flight is to be flexible together with your dates and your destination. If you’ve got your heart assail “Paris in June” you’ll be forced to pay regardless of the flight costs. But, if you open that up to “France within the summer” — or maybe “Europe within the summer” you’ll be ready to find less expensive flights since you’ll have tons more flexibility to check dates and destinations.

I like to use Google Flights and Click2book to browse my options. I type in my home city then pick “everywhere” as my destination. I then base my plans around where I can fly to for the smallest amount of cash .

However, if you don’t want to try to to that (I think it’s an ideal Friday night activity), you’ll inspect a number of the subsequent websites that look for deals and email them to you:

Get Points!

Travel hacking, the art of collecting points and miles, may be a good way to travel on a budget. By getting point-yielding credit cards and employing a few simple techniques, you’ll get many thousands of miles — with none additional spending. These points can then be cashed certain free flights, free hotel stays, and other travel rewards.

I’ve earned countless free flights, upgrades, and hotel stays from travel hacking. By optimizing my spending and listening to which cards earn the foremost points where, I’ve saved thousands of dollars — and you’ll too! Best Website to get rewards in Traveljunctionus.com, you must try this

Use the Sharing Economy

A group of budget backpackers relaxing at a pool during a hostel in Central America The sharing economy has led to a plethora of latest money-saving and community-building platforms that have made travel even cheaper , personal, and accessible. It’s never been easier to urge off the tourist trail, connect with locals, and knowledge their pace of life. I live by these websites once I travel! you ought to too.

Here are a number of the simplest sharing economy sites to assist you get started:

Airbnb — the simplest platform for locating rooms, apartments, and houses for rent by locals. Couchsurfing — Great for locating free accommodation (often on people’s couches) and meeting travelers/locals. The hangout feature on the app is my favorite, as you’ll see who is around to satisfy up. Trusted Housesitters — the foremost comprehensive website to seek out house-sitting gigs. You watch an area on vacation while the homeowner is on vacation. EatWith — Allows you to eat home-cooked meals with locals (it’s the Airbnb of food). It always results in interesting encounters, so it’s one among my favorite things to try to to . BlaBlaCar — A ridesharing app that pairs riders with verified locals who have a spare seat in their car. RVShare — Allows you to rent RVs and campervans directly from locals.

Find the Free!

The world is awash with amazing free travel resources (like this website) which will assist you travel on a budget. regardless of where you’re going, there’s probably a blog post on what to try to to and see there for free of charge or cheaply. Someone has been there and they’ve written about it! Make the simplest use of all of them to assist you propose your trip.

My favorite search term is ��free things to try to to in X.” You’ll always get a result!

Additionally, don’t be afraid to steer into a hostel — albeit you aren’t staying there — and ask them what to try to to for reasonable . Their clientele is budget sensitive, in order that they always know what to try to to and where to travel for small money.

Local tourism boards also will have plenty of info on free things to try to to also

Stick with Public Transportation

Old tuk-tuks parked together in Sri Lanka If you’re on a budget, skip the taxis and rideshares like Lyft or Uber. Unless you’ll lower your cost by sharing a ride with other passengers, public transportation goes to be the foremost cost-effective thanks to get around. Not only will it prevent money but you’ll get to ascertain how the locals travel too.

Google Maps usually can offer you a basic overview of the general public transportation options and costs available. you’ll find information about day passes and/or multiday passes from your local hostel/hotel staff (as well as from local tourism offices). for reasonable intercity travel information, inspect Rome2Rio.

Use Local Tourism Offices

Local tourist offices are a wealth of data . They exist solely to supply you with information on what to ascertain and do. They often have plenty of discounts not found anywhere else and may also keep you updated on local events, free tours, and therefore the best spots to eat. they will assist you find public transportation discounts and/or multiday passes too.

Don’t skip the local tourist office! they’re a severely underutilized resource.

Get Cheap Accommodation

Cozy bunk beds during a hostel dormitory in Europe Accommodation is one among the most important fixed costs travelers have, so reducing that cost can cause big savings on the road. I’m sure many backpackers would sleep during a barn if it were the most cost-effective accommodation they might find! Heck, I’ve slept in hammocks in national parks to save lots of a buck!

Since you’ve got to remain somewhere nightly, reducing this expense can prevent tons of cash off the entire cost of your trip. Stay in hostels, use Couchsurfing, stay in empty university dorms, camp, or try an Airbnb.

Here are the websites i exploit to book cheap places to stay:

Booking.com — for locating budget hotels and guesthouses. Hostelworld — the simplest site for locating hostels. Agoda — Another great hotel website, specifically for Asia. Hotel Tonight — Offers discounted last-minute hotel stays. Airbnb — for locating private rooms, entire apartments, and houses for rent by locals.

Eat Cheap

Other than accommodation, food is one of the most important travel costs. After all, everyone must eat. But there are many ways to eat the cheap:

Go grocery shopping and prepare your own meals Shop at local markets Use apps to seek out deals (Yelp, Seamless, LaForchette, TasteCard, RiceBowl) Also, use the five-block rule. There seems to be this magical wall that surrounds tourist areas. most of people don’t go past it. It’s been my experience that if you walk five blocks in any direction from a serious tourist area, you finish up losing the crowds and finding the local restaurants.

In my experience, tourist restaurants don’t care about quality since those tourists aren’t returning. Residents do care so places catering to them got to be better — and cheaper — or they are going out of business. Those are the places you would like to erode. Use the above resources to seek out where the locals eat and avoid crappy food!

Travel Junction

Traveljunction is an online company offering online travel products and services with the ease of few clicks to book your trip. www.traveljunctionus.com

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andrewbrobst · 4 years ago

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2021 Resolutions, Family-Style

In some ways, January 1st will be just another day. It’s another collection of 24 hours, each a set of 60 minutes, each comprised of 60 seconds. And yet there’s something about the dawn of a new year that gives us fresh fuel to conquer our goals, to shed our bad habits, to launch our ideas, and to run after what we want.

And all of that was true long before 2020 gave us all a year to wish away.

Today, people around the world are jotting down plans to lose weight. To exercise. To spend less. To save more. These are the resolutions made for generations. Goals selected on this first day of the year. And goals too often abandoned by February. So why do we have such trouble keeping our resolutions? Accountability.

Spending less, for example, is easier said than done. It’s easy to think you could cut your dining out budget until your friends want to celebrate a birthday. Or that you could exercise more until your boss moves staff meetings to 8am.

That’s why this year, we’re taking another approach entirely: New Year’s resolutions, family-style. Join forces with the ones you love to make a single set of goals for the whole house. Not only are your resolutions more likely to be kept, but you could build family unity in the process.

Need some ideas? You can have one of ours.

Learn from 2020’s Lessons: It’s Relationships that Matter.

Many resolutions have much to do about self. We might want to lose weight so we can feel better, or save more so we can have more later. But if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that relationships matter more than anything. Sure, we all missed going out to eat or enjoying a screening at a movie theatre. But most of all, we missed each other. This year, make a resolution regarding family time. Perhaps it’s as simple as eating dinner together 4 nights per week, or going to visit the grandparents once it’s safe to do so. Whatever you do, don’t fill your goals with self-centered resolutions alone..

Don’t Spend Less. Spend Smarter.

Few resolutions are more of a buzzkill than “spend less.” The mere idea of forgoing your morning cafe run can make a coffee guzzler shudder. Rather than eradicating all of of your wants, make an effort to eliminate the “oh well” spends. Things like Uber rides after missing the bus, late fees on library books, or the 6th day of fees on that RedBox you watched last weekend. In other words, taxes on irresponsibility. Though the category requires more effort, it won’t steal an ounce of joy from life’s simple pleasures.

Take an Idea to the Next Level

Perhaps you’re one of those families that spends dinner time speculating about grand solutions to little problems. Whether inventing a better salt and pepper shaker, talking about a better app, or making plans to turn your TV room into a tech shop, it’s always easier to talk than take action. This year, make a goal of taking a step toward one of the ideas your family has had percolating. Perhaps your next step is writing a business plan, clearing a patch of land, or cleaning up the garage. Whatever it is, divide your task into pieces and assign one to each family member. Who knows: that salt and pepper shaker could be the next big thing.

Join Forces on a Family Splurge

Every child has a dream that’s been met with a similar response: “That costs too much money.” Perhaps it’s a dog, a trampoline, or a trip to Disney World. We all hate saying no, but it’s often the responsible thing to do. Want to give your child a different answer? Here’s a simple idea: pool your spare change throughout the year in a giant jar. Have a goal in mind and invite the entire family to take part is seeing it actualized. At year end, visit a Coinstar machine and use the proceeds to buy your family’s splurge of choice. One family saved up so much change in a water jug that they’re taking a family vacation using nothing but pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters. A family goal, a family effort, and a family reward.

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tamboradventure · 5 years ago

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How to Travel on a Budget in 2020

Posted: 1/30/2020 | January 30th, 2020

A new year brings a new sense of possibility as we create new goals to help us get closer to that ideal self we have in our mind.

And one of those goals usually involves trying to travel more.

But when you are starved for time and money, travel can seem like a pipe dream. A wish that might never be fulfilled.

Luckily, there’s a wave of positive developments for those who want to travel more: cheaper airfare, more deal-finding websites (and other information) online, free walking tours in more cities, and more opportunities to bypass the traditional travel infrastructure and connect directly into the local way of life via the sharing economy.

So, as we get deeper into 2020, I want to share some suggestions on how to travel on a budget this year so you can check off that New Year’s resolution! Here are some of my top tips to help you:

1. Change Your Mindset

Changing your mindset might not be a traditional budget tip, but it’s important nonetheless. Action begets action and, as you think of ways to travel cheaper, it becomes a game where you try to keep finding ways to save money. The first step makes all the other steps easier.

Start with a “yes, I can” mindset. Don’t think “I can’t travel” — think “What’s one thing I can do today to make my trip closer to reality?”

Life is a mental game. Do one thing every day that gets you closer to your trip and you’ll find yourself building an unstoppable momentum.

2. Come Up with a Savings Plans

Unless you’re Bill Gates, we all need to save more money. But how do you do that? While life is expensive, I do believe there are always ways to save a little more. There’s always something you can cut. A little bit of savings adds up a lot over time.

Get into the habit of putting money into your travel fund regularly — even if it’s just a few dollars a week. Every little penny will help. The more you save, the more you want to save. It sort of becomes a game. It’s no longer a chore.

Here are some posts on how to save money:

22 Ways to Cut Your Expenses and Have Money for Travel

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Cheap

How Michael Saved $14k in 6 Months Making $9 Per Hour

How I Find the Money to Travel

3. Score a Flight Deal

One of the things that people always tell me holds them back from traveling more is the cost of flights. But, let me tell you, we live in an age of cheap airfare.

If you can be flexible with your plans, there are always deals. Sure, maybe you can’t take advantage of that sale to Europe next week, but you can still find a date and a destination that work for you at a great price if you’re flexible about one or both factors.

I like to use Google Flights. I type in my home city and then “everywhere” and see what the cheapest results are. I then base my plans around where I can fly to for the least amount of money.

However, if you don’t want to do that (I think it’s a perfect Friday night activity), you can check out some of the following websites that search for deals and email them to you:

Scott’s Cheap Flights – The best website for finding flight deals from the US

The Flight Deal – Incredible deals for flights all around the world

Secret Flying – Another site with amazing flight deals from around the globe (they find a lot of Asia/Africa/South America deals not found elsewhere)

4. Get Points!

Travel hacking, the art of collecting points and miles, is a great way to save money. By getting point-yielding credit cards and using a few ninja techniques, you can get hundreds of thousands of miles without spending any extra money, thus getting you free flights, free accommodation, and added cash back. It’s what all serious travelers do. There’s no excuse not to do it! I mean you’re spending the money anyway, so you might as well get some treats for it. Here are some resources to help you begin:

How I Earn 1 Million Frequent Flier Miles Every Year

The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Best Travel Credit Card

The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking

Even if you aren’t American, you still have options, as points and miles have gone global:

Points Hack (Australia/New Zealand)

Head for Points (UK)

Canadian Kilometers (Canada)

5. Use the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy has led to a plethora of new money-saving and community-building platforms that have made travel even more affordable, personal, and accessible. It’s never been easier to get off the tourist trail, connect with locals, and experience their pace of life. I live by these websites when I travel! You should too. My favorites include:

Airbnb – The best platform for finding rooms, apartments, and homes for rent by locals.

Couchsurfing – Great for finding free accommodation (often on people’s couches) and meeting travelers/locals. The hangout feature on the app is my favorite, as you can see who is around to meet up.

Trusted Housesitters – The most comprehensive website to find house-sitting gigs. You watch a place on vacation while the homeowner is on vacation.

EatWith – Allows you to eat home-cooked meals with locals (it’s the Airbnb of food). It always leads to interesting encounters, so it’s one of my favorite things to do.

BlaBlaCar – A ridesharing app that pairs riders with verified locals who have a spare seat in their car.

6. Find the Free!

The world is awash with amazing free travel resources (like this website) that can help you travel on a budget. No matter where you are going, there’s probably a blog post on what to do and see there for free or cheaply. Someone has been there and they’ve written about it! Make the best use of all them to help you plan your trip.

My favorite search term is “free things to do in X.” You’ll always get a result!

Additionally, don’t be afraid to walk into a hostel — even if you aren’t staying there — and ask them what to do for cheap. Their clientele is budget sensitive, so they always know what to do and where to go for little money.

7. Stick to Public Transportation

If you’re on a budget, skip the taxis and rideshares like Lyft or Uber. Unless you can lower your cost by sharing a ride with other passengers, public transportation is going to be the most cost-effective way to get around. Not only will it save you money but you’ll get to see how the locals travel too.

Google Maps usually can give you a basic overview of the public transportation options and prices available. You can find information about day passes and/or multiday passes local tourism offices which will save you even more money. (See the next tip for more about that).

8. Use Local Tourism Offices

Local tourist offices are a wealth of knowledge. They exist solely to provide you with information on what to see and do. They often have tons of discounts not found anywhere else and can also keep you updated on local events, free tours, and the best spots to eat. They can help you find public transportation discounts and/or multiday passes too.

Don’t skip the local tourist office! They are serverly underutilizted resource.

9. Get Cheap Accommodation

Accommodation is one of the biggest fixed costs travelers have, so reducing that cost can lead to big savings on the road. I’m sure many backpackers would sleep in a barn if it were the cheapest accommodation they could find! Heck, I’ve slept in hammocks in national parks to save a buck!

Since you have to stay somewhere every night, reducing this expense can save you a lot of money off the total cost of your trip. Stay in hostels, use Couchsurfing, get last minute hotesl on Hotels Tonight, stay at universities (yes, you can do that), or try an Airbnb. Since there’s a lot of ways to cut your accommodation costs, here are my posts on how to get accommodation deals:

How to Find the Perfect Apartment Rental

How to Find Cheap and Free Accommodation

How to Crush it on Couchsurfing

And here are the websites I use to book cheap places to stay:

Booking.com – For finding budget hotels and guesthouses.

Hostelworld – The best site for finding hostels.

Agoda – Another great hotel website, specifically for Asia.

Hotel Tonight – Offers discounted last-minute hotel stays.

Airbnb – For finding private rooms, entire apartments, and homes for rent by locals.

10. Eat Cheap

Other than accommodation, food is one of the biggest travel costs. After all, everyone needs to eat. But there are lots of ways to eat on the cheap:

Go grocery shopping and prepare your own meals

Shop at local markets

Use apps to find deals (Yelp, Seamless, LaForchette, TasteCard, RiceBowl)

Also, use the five-block rule. There seems to be this magical wall that surrounds tourist areas. Most people don’t go past it. It’s been my experience that if you walk five blocks in any direction from a major tourist area, you end up losing the crowds and finding the local restaurants. Tourist restaurants don’t care about quality since tourists aren’t coming back. Residents do care so places catering to them need to be better — and more affordable – or they go out of business. Those are the places you want to eat at. Use the above resources to find where the locals eat and avoid crappy food! Moreover, check out these articles for tips on eating cheap around the world:

How to Eat Cheap Around the World

How to Eat Around the World on a Plant-Based Diet

11. Travel Like You Live

The majority of people in your destinations don’t spend lots of money per day, like tourists do. Neither do you in your day-to-day life. So take that mentality with you. Walk, take public transportation, grocery shop, spend a day in a park, and look for deals. Do the things you do at home every day to keep your costs down.

Too many people get into this mindset that when they go on the road, they just have to spend, spend, spend, spend. That’s not true at all. There’s no law that says you have to spend more. Be smart with your budget — just like you are at home. That will help you save money and prevent you from going home early broke.

***

The world is full of different ways to travel on a budget once you know where to look. This year, make travel happen. It doesn’t matter if you save only a dollar a week. What matters is that you take the first step! Action begets action. Once you take the first step, all the other steps will be easier.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and that will save you time and money too!

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